Mass Firings Soar at Fastest Pace Since 2010; What's the Impact on Unemployment?

In precisely the kind of news president Obama does not want heading into the election, Ford (F), Dow Chemical (DOW), DuPont (DD), and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) all announced mass layoffs this past week as Firings Reach Highest Since 2010.

North American companies have announced plans to eliminate 62,600 positions at home and abroad since Sept. 1, the biggest two-month drop since the start of 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Firings total 158,100 so far this year, more than the 129,000 job cuts in the same period in 2011.

"Companies are saying, ‘Let's not build up inventories, let's be lean and mean until we know until we have a better idea of what 2013 is going to look like,'" said Janna Sampson, who helps manage more than $3 billion for Oakbrook Investments in Lisle, Illinois. "There is a fear now as companies see that the economic recovery is not picking up."

So far, out of 204 S&P 500 companies that have released third-quarter earnings, 120 have reported sales that trailed analysts' estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
More Cuts

Those results, similar to the S&P 500's second-quarter performance, signal employers may increase firings over the next two quarters, according to John Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a human resources consulting firm based in Chicago.

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