John Challenger Economy Quotations

The only clear picture we have from the job cut numbers this year is that employers appear to be confused about the direction this economy is taking, ... Companies are experiencing increased business, but they are also seeing their costs soar due to higher fuel prices, inflation in supplier prices and a weaker dollar, which makes it more expensive to buy foreign parts.

There is a lot of extra fiscal stimulus moving into the economy from the storm relief.

Layoffs are still very high, and the economy seems to be showing little sign of pulling out of the doldrums, ... These lower cuts may just mean that we aren't seeing any further dips right now -- that we're just in this kind of steady, low-wattage kind of state.

Many are waiting with bated breath to see if the economy continues to add jobs at the rate it did in March. If it does not, it could be serious blow to consumer and business confidence, thus slowing the momentum of the recovery again.

It is difficult to attract new businesses to a city if there are not enough skilled workers to employ. It is much more difficult to attract new people if there are no jobs immediately available, ... What smaller cities are accomplishing in this economy is truly amazing.

We now see more and more of these Old Economy-New Economy hybrids cutting their online staffs, ... Companies that were hoping, if not expecting to eventually shift the lion's share of their business to the Internet may be forced to consider entirely new strategies for both short term and long term.

Merger/acquisition activity was the second leading cause of job cuts (in January), behind cost-cutting. It will continue to be among the top job-cut reasons this year as an improving economy and increased competition force industry consolidation.

Those are two areas of the economy that should be perking up right now if we were in a recovery mode, ... Normally, businesses hire temp workers and work their employees longer -- this drop is of real concern and raises the specter of a double-dip recession.

The pattern of job cutting that we saw in the third quarter mirrors what we have been seeing almost daily in the various economic and corporate earnings reports, which is to say one report suggests the economy is headed toward recovery while the next seems to hint that we are stuck in recession,

The question for the economy at large is to what extent will it absorb these people and these businesses.

While some forecast the economy to be strong this year, some areas hit with heavy downsizing could struggle.

Even in this runaway economy that has some factories running 24 hours, ... employers are still able to find areas that can be trimmed or eliminated altogether.

Continued job cutting as a result of a slowing economy and increased outsourcing could prompt a significant decline in job security and a subsequent reduction in consumer spending just as we head into the all-important holiday shopping season,

The very heavy downsizing reported in November is more confirmation that the effects of the Sept. 11 attack on the economy have been substantial. In the eight years we have tracked job cuts data, the downsizing for the last three months has been at levels never before seen.

The strong economy prompted ambitious yearly plans on the part of many companies, especially those in consumer goods manufacturing, ... In order to meet those goals, as well as to stay competitive in today's global 24-hour economy, several companies in the poll have added or plan to add third shifts, creating the need for even more workers.

Even when the economy is fully recovered and companies are back in expansion mode, we may not see a revival in hiring of the rank-and-file worker. Cost containment oriented companies, in an effort to become more agile in this increasingly competitive global marketplace, will rely more an more on a just-in-time workforce of contract and contingent workers.

Every town with a closing plant will see its local economy take a hit,

The good news for displaced workers as well as for the economy is that the jobs that are being affected the most by downsizing are still in demand, ... This is why the unemployment rate has not increased at nearly the same rate as job cuts.

The economy is always an important issue in voters' minds, especially as it relates to the job market, ... Most Americans do not pay much attention to gross domestic product growth, the strength of the dollar, inflation or other economic indicators.