U.S. job cuts already surpass 2010 year-end total

The 11-month total is 13 percent higher than job cuts over same period last year

Although this month’s job cuts were down 0.7 percent from October, the 11-month total for 2011 is 564,297 – officially passing the 2010 year-end total of 529,973, according to the Challenger, Gray & Christmas November 2011 Job Cut Report.

The report, released November 30, addressed the month’s job cuts dominating sectors – government and financial services. Forty-four percent of all jobs cut in the month were in the public sector, resulting in 18,508 jobs eliminated. According to the report, this is the eighth time government job cuts led all others in monthly downsizing.