Hospitals Face Record Layoffs in 2010

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospitals have laid off 8,233 people so far in 2010 during massive layoff events. The Bureau of Labor Statistics declares a massive layoff event when 50 or more people lose their jobs at once. Hospitals nationwide have experienced 102 such events since the beginning of 2010, putting them on pace to hit 153 by year’s end. If layoffs continue at their current pace, 12,349 hospital employees will lose their jobs this year, up from 11,757 in 2009. The only year on record with a greater number of hospital layoffs is 2005, when hurricane Katrina caused many New Orleans-area hospitals to close completely.