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

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"