Fewer People Getting Laid Off These Days

Here’s some not-so-bleak news to brighten your day. A new study shows that only 20,000 Americans lost their job in the private sector in the last month. That’s down a whopping 67% from January’s numbers. And some are hoping this is just the start of an upward trend.

Another report bolsters these numbers, claiming that planned layoffs in the U.S. are at the lowest level since July 2006, and that downsizing is trailing off as employers look to rebuild their staffs.

“This is a positive sign that we are turning the corner toward job growth,” said David Resler, chief economist at Nomura Securities International in New York.

A more concrete test of the current state of private sector jobs will come this Friday, when the Labor Department will release monthly non-farm payroll numbers.

Private employers shed fewer jobs in February [Reuters]

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