Global| Apr 01 2009Challenger Layoffs Ease Slightly Second Month
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
The outplacement firm of Challenger, Grey & Christmas reported that March job cut announcements eased for the second month to 150,411 following 186,350 layoffs during February. Both of the figures were down from the cycle high of [...]
The outplacement firm of Challenger, Grey & Christmas reported that March job cut announcements eased for the second month to 150,411 following 186,350 layoffs during February. Both of the figures were down from the cycle high of 241,749 reached in January. Challenger also reported that announced hiring plans picked up somewhat from February.
Announcements of job cuts in the pharmaceutical industry were a strong 17,796 which was the second most on record. Announcements in the electronics industry also were strong. Another 11,550 jobs were shed and that was near the rate of decline during the prior three months.
Job cut announcements in the automotive sector eased sharply to 6,806 after a huge jump during February and the financial business shed 8,651 jobs. Employment in the retail industry fell 3,821 after the 18,759 February cut. Employment in the industrial goods industry also fell a more moderate 8,787. The computer industry shed 5,290 after the 3,960 February cutback.
During the last ten years there has been a 67% (inverse) correlation between the three month moving average of announced job cuts and the three month change payroll employment.
Job cut announcements differ from layoffs. Many are achieved through attrition, early retirement or just never occur.
The Challenger figures are available in Haver's SURVEYS database.
| Challenger, Gray & Christmas | March | February | Y/Y | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced Job Cuts | 150,411 | 186,350 | 180.7% | 1,223,993 | 768,264 | 839,822 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »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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