Haver Analytics
Haver Analytics
Global| Nov 06 2014

Challenger Job Cut Announcements Jump

Summary

The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that job cut announcements rebounded to 51,183 (11.9% y/y) during October. Layoffs rose m/m in the computer, electronics, pharmaceutical, retail, financial, food, [...]


The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that job cut announcements rebounded to 51,183 (11.9% y/y) during October. Layoffs rose m/m in the computer, electronics, pharmaceutical, retail, financial, food, government, industrial goods, insurance, media, services, consumer products, aerospace/defense and apparel industries. Layoffs declined in the automotive, education, energy, entertainment/leisure, health care, real estate, retail, transportation and utility industries. During the last ten years there has been a 65% correlation between the level of job cut announcements and the m/m change in payroll employment.

Challenger also samples firms' hiring plans. They increased 147,935 (68.3% y/y) due to added hiring in the aerospace/defense, computer, consumer products, electronics, energy, health care, industrial goods and telecommunications industries. These were offset by declines in the retail, media and automotive industries.

The Challenger figures are available in Haver's SURVEYS database.

Challenger, Gray & Christmas

Oct Sep Jul Y/Y % 2013 2012 2011

Announced Job Cuts

51,183 30,477 40,010 11.9 509,051 523,362 606,082

Announced Hiring Plans

147,935 567,705 9,657 68.3 764,206 630,447 537,572
  • Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio.   Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984.   He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C.   In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists.   Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.

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