E-Commerce Times Talkback

Re: Report: Dot-Com Layoffs Slowing Down
Posted by: ECT News 2001-05-30 12:16:56

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After setting a record in April, the
number of dot-com job cuts fell by 24 percent in May,
according to a report released
Tuesday by Chicago, Illinois-based outplacement firm
Challenger, Gray & Christmas (CGC).

John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of
CGC, told the E-Commerce Times that the slowing layoff
rates could be a sign that dot-com firms are reaching a point of
equilibrium, where they have the right number of employees for
their business models.

Re: Report: Dot-Com Layoffs Slowing Down
Posted by: Morris Thorpe 2001-05-30 14:03:18 In reply to: ECT News

First of all, why is Challenger telling me that there are X number of layoffs in May, before May has ended?

Since he has essentially become the Internet's official layoff statkeeper, I wonder if he is getting the scrutiny he deserves?

Second of all, I think 30-day intervals are too small to draw the broad kinds of conclusions that Challenger gives us in this article.

Challenger says that at the end of May: "the decline in e-tail layoffs could be attributed to the fact that many of the weaker e-tailers have already been ejected from the e-commerce game." Yet in April, just one month before, we had a layoff record.

Perhaps it's time to focus on longer intervals of time than 30 days, and get a moving picture instead of a snapshot.

Re: Report: Dot-Com Layoffs Slowing Down
Posted by: Ron Smith 2001-05-30 12:19:31 In reply to: ECT News

Last time I checked there are still two days left in May. But these guys can tell us exactly how many jobs were lost this month?

Would this story have been any less valid if it had come out next week?