Planned layoffs rose slightly in September

U.S. firms planned slightly more layoffs in September compared to August, a report by employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said today. Employers announced 71,836 planned layoffs in September, 33 percent lower than September 2004, but more than the 70,571 announced in August.

Speaking on CNBC this morning, John Challenger, CEO, said that job cuts over the past two months were flat compared to heavier cuts in the summer months. Of the September layoffs, 7,119 occurred in the industrial goods industry and 5,381 in the automotive industry. Year-to-date, the automotive sector has seen 87,732 layoffs, and the industrial goods sector has seen 64,101.