Job cuts down 33% over a year ago

Retail led in layoffs and announcements

Florida companies trimmed 33 percent fewer jobs in September than in 2016. Employers cut 929 jobs during the month compared with 1,391 jobs in September 2016, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Among the more than 900 job cuts in September by Florida employers were 245 workers at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills.

The center, which lost power during Hurricane Irma and lacked a generator, is under investigation by the state over the deaths of up to a dozen patients since the storm. The center was evacuated and state regulators ordered a moratorium on future admissions, forcing the business to shut down.

The overall impact from the storms on jobs is not yet clear, though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday that Hurricanes Irma and Harvey reduced nationwide payroll count by about 33,000 jobs.

Dan Lindblade, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, said the full effect of Hurricane Irma may not be realized for weeks or months.

“The loss of power forced thousands of people, especially in the leisure and hospitality industries, out of work until the grid was restored. When the lights came on, many were able to return to work. Small business owners have a harder time absorbing the loss of a week’s worth of revenue than a large corporation. It’s enough to close some doors permanently,” Lindblade said.

Florida’s September unemployment is scheduled to be released Oct. 20.

Nationwide, job cuts were 32,346, down 26 percent from a year ago, Challenger said. The industry with the biggest employment changes is retail, which led the job cuts in September but also led in hiring announcements.

So far this year, employers in the U.S. have announced 321,478 job cuts, 26.2 percent lower than the 435,612 cuts recorded through September last year.

“Job cuts have remained low since the second half of last year,” said John Challenger, CEO of Challenger. He said companies report are “holding on to their existing workforces while many positions requiring skilled labor go unfilled” as they grapple with potential deregulation and changes to health care costs in a tight labor market.

The retail industry led in announced job cuts, with 71,057 so far this year, 3,461 of which occurred in September. This is a 36.8 percent increase from the previous year, when 51,939 cuts were recorded, Challenger said.

Through September, retailers also said they planned to add more than 500,000 new jobs, both seasonal and permanent. Nationwide, Target has announced it plans to hire 100,000 seasonal workers for the Christmas holidays, Macy’s has said it will hire 80,000 seasonal workers; and J.C. Penney, 40,000 seasonal workers, Challenger said.