Layoffs announced in November dropped slightly from the prior month, though cuts in 2011 have already surpassed last year's total, according to a report released Wednesday.
Outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said 42,474 planned layoffs were announced in November, down 0.7% from October's total. That's the second straight drop after September's 28-month high of 115,730.
But job cuts announced this year are up 13% overall and now total 564,297 -- already more than 2010's full-year total of 529,973 -- and we still have to get through December.
Government and retail jobs, as well as those in the financial sector, have taken the biggest hit so far this year, the report showed. The government has announced cuts of more than 180,000 jobs this year, while retail has lost more than 48,000 and financial services 56,000.
Given the downsizing in the public sector, Washington, D.C. has had more announced layoffs this year than any state, with more than 98,000 cuts so far in 2011. California is next with just over 60,000 layoffs, followed by North Carolina with nearly 55,000 job cuts.
D.C. suffered more than 15,000 planned cuts in November alone, compared with 4,100 in California and 2,600 in New York.
ADP will release their jobs report later Wednesday morning. Analysts surveyed by Briefing.com expect private sector jobs to have increased by 125,000 for the month of November, after ticking up by 110,000 in the month prior.
