5 questions for jobs expert John Challenger

It’s been a grim year for layoffs and job cuts with nine straight months of job losses, worsening in September when U.S. employers handed out the most pink slips of any month since 2003. All told, 760,000 have faced unemployment this year.

The picture isn’t likely to grow brighter any time soon. The job outlook for the near future is dismal, according to John Challenger, chief executive of the job placement consultancy Challenger Gray & Christmas.

"It does look as though we’re heading into a deeper recession or slowdown," Challenger said. "It’s likely going to have more far-reaching impact and lead to more layoffs, higher unemployment, longer job searches for people."

By Dave Carpenter, AP Business Writer

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2008-10-07-challenger-q_N.htm