Haver Analytics
Haver Analytics
Global| Dec 05 2013

Challenger Job Cut Announcements Slip

Summary

The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that 45,314 job cuts (-20.6% y/y) were announced during November, roughly constant with October. Layoffs rose in the energy, entertainment/leisure, food, industrial goods, [...]


The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that 45,314 job cuts (-20.6% y/y) were announced during November, roughly constant with October. Layoffs rose in the energy, entertainment/leisure, food, industrial goods, retail, services and transportation industries. These were offset by declines in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications, real estate, media, financial and electronics industries.   

During the last ten years there has been a 67% correlation between the three-month moving average of announced job cuts and the three-month change in payroll employment. Job cut announcements differ from layoffs. Many are achieved through attrition, early retirement or just never occur.

Challenger also samples firms' hiring plans. They fell due to sharp pullbacks in the transportation, entertainment/leisure, services, retail, health care, automotive, food and energy industries. These were offset by increases in the computer, electronics, apparel, financial and insurance industries.   

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

Challenger, Gray & Christmas Nov Oct Sep Y/Y% 2012 2011 2010
Announced Job Cuts 45,314 45,730 40,289 -20.6 523,362 606,082 529,973
Announced Hiring Plans 14,177 87,874 444,617 50.3 630,447 537,572 402,638
  • 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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