[Excerpt] The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducts the Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program to provide information on large-scale layoff events and the characteristics of the dislocated workers. This report summarizes the data on extended layoffs for all of 2009. Extended mass layoffs, as defined by the MLS program, refer to layoffs of at least 31 days’ duration that involve the filing of initial claims for unemployment insurance by 50 or more individuals from a single establishment during a period of 5 consecutive weeks. Since 2004, the detailed reports no longer cover Government and agricultural layoffs. Additional information about the program is provided in the technical note that follows the tables.