U.S. Socialism

Margaret Thatcher said "the trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of Other People's Money."

U.S. mass layoffs

A total of 237,900 American workers lost their jobs through mass layoffs in January.
That was up 11,790 from the December total, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The number of mass layoff events declined from month to month, even though the number of affected workers increased. The bureau counted 2,227 mass layoffs in January, compared to 2,275 in December.

A mass layoff is defined as a single action by a single employer that causes at least 50 workers to lose their jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates mass layoff data on a seasonally adjusted basis.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 38 percent of all mass layoff events and 44 percent of affected workers in January.

California recorded the largest number of workers affected by mass layoffs, with 54,150 losing their jobs last month. It was followed by New York at 31,890, Pennsylvania at 29,660 and Ohio at 27,970.

Forty-eight states had more mass layoffs in January 2009 than in the same month a year ago, with the largest increases reported in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio.