Planned Layoffs Down Again, At 20-Month Low

Down three straight months

The number of planned layoffs at U.S. companies dropped for a third straight month in August and hit a 20-month low, a report showed on Thursday.

Employers announced 32,239 planned job cuts last month, down 12.5 percent from 36,855 in July, according to the report from consultants Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.