Planned Job Cuts Lowest in Three Months

Chicago, IL, Oct. 3, 2013 — Planned job cuts in September fell to the lowest level in three months, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

Employers said they expected to cut payrolls by 40,289 positions in September, a 20% decline from August, when job cuts reached a six-month high.

Planned job cuts for the third quarter totaled 128,452, a 25% jump from a year earlier and a 13% increase from the second quarter.

Challenger said that despite the recent surge, the overall pace of job cutting in 2013 is roughly unchanged from last year.