Layoffs

Legal Sector Lost 5,800 Jobs Last Month, Labor Bureau Says

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As the nation’s unemployment rate topped 10 percent last month, lawyers were not spared.

The legal sector lost 5,800 jobs, according to seasonally adjusted statistics in a just-released report (PDF) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. When not seasonally adjusted, the figures show a gain of 1,500 jobs, but that is probably attributable to the elimination of summer associates from law firm payrolls, reports the Am Law Daily.

After slowing down for a few months over the summer, it appears that the pace of law firm layoffs is now picking up a bit, the legal blog notes.

Among the firms that have recently trimmed their rosters are Drinker Biddle & Reath; Foley & Lardner; and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Earlier coverage:

ABAJournal.com: “Legal Sector Lost 2,000 Jobs Last Month, 58 Jobs Last Week”

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