Business
Mass layoffs in health care industry decrease
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 5, 2009
The country saw more mass layoffs in August than during the previous month, but there were fewer incidents in the health care sector, according to figures released Sept. 23 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A mass layoff is defined as one from a single employer that affects at least 50 people.
Ambulatory health care centers had three mass layoffs involving a combined 160 people in August. This represented a decline from 14 events in July that lead to 846 people losing their jobs. Hospitals had 14 events affecting 865 people in August, a decrease from the 21 events in July involving 1,716 employees.
When the economy as a whole is considered, employers across the country took 2,690 mass layoff actions affecting 259,307 workers in August. This was an increase from the 2,157 actions in July affecting 206,791 workers.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/10/05/bibf1005.htm.
