Planned layoffs at U.S. firms fell in December to their lowest level in two years as

[Neubarth]

Planned layoffs at U.S. firms fell in December to their lowest level in two years as economic activity began picking up steam, capping off the worst year for corporate job cuts since 2002, a report on Wednesday showed.

Employers announced 45,094 planned job cuts last month, the fewest since December 2007, according to global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
U.S. job cuts shrink to two-year low in December - Yahoo! Finance

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Yep, it will be a Gray Christmas for all of 2010. What this tells us is that most of the layoffs are occuring at small businesses. Most of them are in the Service Sector. We are losing half a million jobs there each week, and that is FRIGHTENING!

We need CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN! Unfortunately, we are not seeing it.

Actual layoffs for the past few weeks:

U.S. Department of Labor: Employment & Training Administration (ETA) News Releases
U.S. Department of Labor: Employment & Training Administration (ETA) News Releases

INITIAL CLAIMS These are the actual numbers as reported by the states.
Soaring in the past three months week after week after week after week. Half a million a week!

557,155 in the week ending Dec. 26
561,902 in the week ending Dec. 19
555,344 in the week ending Dec. 12
664,865 in the week ending Dec. 5
543,926 in the week ending Nov. 21
479,295 in the week ending Nov. 14
529,446 in the week ending Nov. 7
480,178 in the week ending Oct. 31
492,456 in the week ending Oct. 24
460,449 in the week ending Oct. 17

 

[uscitizen]

global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.


Hmm, think about that for a minute.

 

[Old Rocks]

Worms eye view from a steel mill. Increase in orders for January and February. Totally opposite the normal order pattern. Hired back two maintenance people and ten production people this week. Still a long way to go, but things are going in the right direction,and seem to be picking up speed.