U.S. employers announced fewer job cuts in September, but hiring plans fell to their lowest level since 2009, underscoring uncertainty in the labor market, according to a report Thursday.

Companies announced 54,064 job cuts last month, down 37% from August and 26% lower than the same month a year earlier, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said. It was only the third time this year that cuts came in below the same month a year earlier.

Still, employers have announced 946,426 job reductions so far this year — the highest since 2020, when more than 2 million cuts were announced.

"Previous periods with this many job cuts occurred either during recessions or, as was the case in 2005 and 2006, during the first wave of automations that cost jobs in manufacturing and technology," A

See Full Page