Haver Analytics
Haver Analytics
Global| Dec 01 2016

Challenger Survey Layoff Announcements Decline

Summary

The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that job cut announcements during November declined to 26,936 (-13.0% y/y) following October's fall to 30,740. It was the lowest level of job cut announcements since [...]


The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that job cut announcements during November declined to 26,936 (-13.0% y/y) following October's fall to 30,740. It was the lowest level of job cut announcements since December 2015. Layoffs declined in the aerospace/defense, chemical, computer, consumer products, education, energy, entertainment/leisure, insurance, legal, pharmaceutical, services, telecommunications and transportation industries. Layoffs increased in the apparel, automotive, commodities, electronics, financial, government/nonprofit, health care, industrial goods, media, retail and utility industries. During the last ten years, there has been a 68% correlation between the level of job cut announcements and the m/m change in payroll employment.

Challenger also samples firms' hiring plans. Hiring fell to 108,994 last month following a decline to 135,532 in October. It fell in the automotive, computer, consumer products, health care, insurance, media and transportation industries. Hiring rose in the aerospace/defense, electronics, entertainment/leisure (where it surged), financial, food, government/nonprofit, industrial goods, pharmaceutical, retail, services and telecommunications industries.

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

Challenger, Gray & Christmas

Nov Oct Sep Nov Y/Y % 2015 2014 2013

Announced Job Cuts

26,936 30,740 44,324 -13.0 598,510 483,171 509,051

Announced Hiring Plans

108,994 135,532 487,075 987.1 690,751 821,506 764,206
  • 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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