Survey: U.S. Job-Cutting Plans Decline To Nine-Month Low

By Agence France-Presse U.S. firms announced the smallest number of job cuts in nine months in March, an industry survey showed April 6. Planned job cuts fell to 68,034, down 12% from February and down 20% from last year, said the survey conducted for outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. It was the lowest figure since June 2003. "The heavy job-cutting we have seen over the past three years appears to be trending down," said the outplacement company's chief executive, John Challenger.