Computer Sector Leads Job Cuts for May 2012

Job cuts increase in the month of May, leaving the computer industry hurting the most.

In May, the nation’s employers announced plans to cut 61,887 workers from their payrolls, the most since last September when layoffs totaled 115,730, according to the latest job-cut report released Thursday by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

The May job-cut total was up 53 percent from the 40,559 planned layoffs announced in April.  It was 67 percent higher May 2011, when employers announced job cuts totaling 37,135.  This marks the fourth year-over-year increase in monthly job cuts in 2012. Continue Reading

Job Cuts Up 11.2% Largely Due to Government, Education Layoffs

The pace of downsizing remained virtually unchanged in April, as U.S.-based employers announced planned job cuts totaling 40,559 during the month. That is a 7.1 percent increase from 37,880 job cuts announced in March, according to the latest job-cut report released Thursday by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

April job cuts were up 11.2 percent from the same month a year ago, when employers announced 36,490 planned cuts, the lowest monthly total recorded in 2011. Continue Reading

Planned Layoffs Virtually Unchanged in February

The number of planned layoffs remained virtually unchanged in February, as U.S. employers announced workforce reductions totaling 51,728 during the month, down slightly (3.3 percent) from the 53,486 layoffs recorded in January, according to the latest job-cut report released Thursday by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

Last month’s total was up 2.0 percent from a year ago, when employers announced 50,702 job cuts in February. Overall, the pace of downsizing is up 18 percent over last year, with 105,214 job cuts announced through the first two months, compared to 89,221 during the same period in 2011.

What may stand out most about 2012 job cuts so far is not the number of layoffs, but the source. Last year, job cuts in the first two months were dominated by the government sector; a trend that would continue throughout 2011. Through the first two months of 2012, job cuts have been concentrated in consumer products and transportation.

Consumer products firms lead all others in job cuts, having announced 16,320 this year, up 351 percent from the 3,621 announced at this point a year ago. The second-ranked transportation sector has seen job cuts increase 616 percent from 2,211 a year ago to 15,835 in 2012. Together, these two sectors account for 32,155 job cuts or 30.6 percent of the year-to-date total. Continue Reading

Job Cuts in January 2012 Up 39% Versus January 2011

Last month, the nation’s employers announced plans to cut 53,486 jobs from their payrolls. That was the largest monthly layoff total since 115,730 job cuts were announced last September, according to job cut report released Thursday by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

The January total was 28 percent higher than the 41,785 job cuts announced in December. It was 39 percent higher than January 2011, when employers announced just 38,519 planned cuts. Continue Reading

Job Cuts in December Were Lowest Per Month Since June

Planned job cuts announced by U.S. employers declined in December to 41,785, the lowest monthly total since June, according to the latest report on downsizing activity from global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

The December total was down 1.6 percent from 42,474 job cuts in November. Last month was up 31 percent from December 2010, when employers announced just 32,004 job cuts, which still stands as the lowest monthly total since 17,241 job cuts were recorded in June 2000.

While 2011 went out like a lamb in terms of downsizing activity, with employers announcing an average of just 42,339 job cuts per month over the final quarter of the year, the year-end job-cut total of 606,082 was 14 percent higher than the 529,973 job cuts announced in 2010. However, the 2010 year-end total was a 13-year low. The 2011 total is still well below the recession peak of 1288,030 annual job cuts reached in 2009. Continue Reading

Job Cuts Down 13% From 2010

The number of planned layoffs announced in November remained virtually unchanged from the previous month, as US-based employers reported job cuts totaling 42,474, down 0.7 percent from 42,759 in October, according to the latest report on downsizing activity from global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

November job cuts were down 13 percent from the same month a year ago when employers announced plans to cut 48,711 jobs from their payrolls. November marks the second consecutive month of lower job cuts after surging to a 28-month high of 115,730 in September. Continue Reading

Citigroup Announces 3,000 Layoffs – About 1% of Its Workforce

Citigroup announced a round of job cuts today that will impact about one percent of its global workforce. That amounts to roughly 3,000 workers, mostly from its securities and banking unit. Continue Reading