The number of mass layoff events this September increased by 497 from the prior month, while the number of associated initial claims rose by 61,726. Layoff events reached their highest level since September 2001, a month that experienced substantial layoff activity due to the September 11 attacks. Mass layoff initial claims reached their highest level since September 2005, which was a month with high layoff activity due to Hurricane Katrina. The effects of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike contributed to the higher September 2008 layoff activity.

In September, 603 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 81,414 initial claims. Over the month, mass layoff events in manufacturing increased by 4 and initial claims increased by 9,170.

The national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, unchanged from the prior month and up from 4.7 percent a year earlier. In September, total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 159,000 over the month and by 519,000 from a year earlier.

Career/recruitment giant Monster and Bullhorn, specialists in On Demand, front office staffing and recruiting software, unveiled a new online recruiting platform-PowerSource, based on Bullhorn's new Integrated Resume Search technology. PowerSource combines real-time posting, shared apply and integrated resume search to enable faster, better quality placements.

SuccessFactors, Inc. specialists in on-demand performance and talent management solutions, unveiled a new recruiting management module for SuccessPractices. The Recruiting Management solution comes through integration with the SuccessFactors Performance and Talent Management suite and is designed to leverage performance information to create more targeted job requisitions based on the profiles of a company's star employees. In addition, both internal and external candidates can be simultaneously identified, targeted, and assessed using this criterion.

employeescreenIQ, a global employment background screening provider, is offering a free webinar presented by a labor and employment attorney, for employers that want to learn about FTC guidelines and how they can get in compliance.

WebApps, Inc. a.k.a. SaaS.com, provider of Software as a Service with a major push in Workforce Management Solutions, recently formed a partnership with Carvin Wilson Software, LLC, a software and consulting services organization that focuses on the industrial staffing industry.

The Center for Career & Life Direction and Kennedy Baker Associates announced a merger to form CareerTreking LLC. The merged entity, based in the Boston area, is dedicated exclusively to coaching college students, recent college graduates and young professionals to meet the unique challenges they face in entering the workforce. The Career Treking coaching program incorporates best practices from each firm. Clients will examine their backgrounds, set career sights, articulate why they're best for the job, and establish a disciplined, comprehensive job search marketing plan, at a highly efficient pace.

Bloomberg reports that units of Hays Plc, Randstad Holding NV, and as many as five competitors are being investigated for price fixing by the U.K. antitrust regulator. The companies are being probed over whether they distorted recruitment in the construction industry by boycotting a third party and whether they fixed fees for providing job candidates, according to the Office of Fair Trading.

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