Layoffs around the U.S. fall to lowest level since 1993
CBSN
Corporate layoffs are falling to their lowest level in nearly 30 years as the U.S. job market bounces back from the coronavirus pandemic. The number of announced job cuts in November fell to 14,875, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That's the lowest figure since May 1993.
"[I]t's no surprise job cuts are at record lows. Employers are spread thin, planning best- and worst-case scenarios in terms of COVID, while also contending with staff shortages and high demand," Andrew Challenger, the company's senior vice president, said in a statement.
Government figures released on Thursday also show unemployment claims — a proxy for layoffs — falling steadily. Some 222,000 claims for jobless aid were filed in the week ended November 27, the Department of Labor said. That's a small rise from the previous week's figures, which hit a 50-year low, but close to the typical weekly number before the COVID-19 pandemic hit last winter.
Almost four out of every 10 people in the United States live in a place where air pollution is considered bad enough to put their health at risk, the American Lung Association warned in its latest "State of the Air" report released on Wednesday. That proportion of people — about 39% of the population — had risen sharply since earlier rounds of pollutant data were analyzed for the annual report last year, and the trends were especially pronounced in certain parts of the country.
Between now and 2030, about 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every single day, highlighting a growing concern about the nation's preparedness for elder care often falling on the shoulders of their adult children. This has given rise to a term known as the "sandwich generation," defined as adults who find themselves caring for their aging parents while still raising their own children.