Corporate layoffs up 158% over February 2008 Job-cut announcements total 186,350 last month

Corporate layoff announcements slowed last month compared with January, but they were up 158% compared with February 2008, according to an unscientific monthly tally released Wednesday by outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas.

Major U.S. companies announced 186,350 job reductions in February, more than double the year-earlier figure of 72,091. In January, layoff announcements as tracked by Challenger Gray had surged to a seven-year high of 241,749

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