Reply #26: Job Cuts Fall 12% to 2011 Low: Challenger Report

[Pale Blue Dot]

Employers fired 12 percent less staff in April than they did in March and 5 percent less than they did in the same period last year, the latest job cut report released by global outplacement firm Challenger showed on Wednesday.

The report said employers announced plans in April to cut 36,490 jobs, the lowest monthly total of the year and the third lowest over the last 16 months.

Year-to-date, employers announced 167,239 job cuts, 24 percent fewer than the 219,509 layoffs by the same point last year.

The report comes ahead of the closely-watched ADP private sector payrolls report, due at 8:15 am ET, and Friday’s key nonfarm payrolls report which will offer further clues on the health of the economy.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42894153