NEW YORK (AFX) - The construction and manufacturing industries laid off large numbers of people in November, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Thursday.
About 136,400 people working in various industries were laid off in the month.
Roughly half those cuts, or about 61,000 jobless claims, came from the motor vehicle, food, machinery and other manufacturers. That represents about 35 percent of all mass layoffs in the month, which are defined as layoffs of 50 or more people.
About 16 percent of the layoffs came from construction companies, mostly in heavy and civil engineering construction. Temporary help and waste services sectors also saw a big hit.
The Midwest saw the highest number of first-time jobless claims in November due to mass layoffs.
The national unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in November, down from 5 percent a year earlier, the Bureau said.
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