Hiring

As more and more jobs come under threat from automation, many Americans, particularly college freshmen, would be wise to enter a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) field, according to one workplace authority.

Job cuts announced by US-based employers rose 17 percent from the February total of 36,957 to 43,310 in March, according to the latest report on monthly job cuts released Thursday by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

The shortest month of the year saw a decline in layoff announcements, as US-employers announced plans to cut 36,957 jobs in February, 19 percent fewer than the 45,934 cuts announced in January, according to the latest report from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

Holiday hiring got off to its strongest start ever last month, as retailers added more than 200,000 new workers in October. However, the record pace is not expected to continue into November and December, according to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

As the war for talent escalates amid an improving economy and falling unemployment, employers around the country are looking for any advantage that will give them the upper hand in finding and keeping the best workers. According to one new survey, a large percentage of companies believe that advantage can be found in employee assessment software.

Conditions are expected to improve for college graduates entering the job market this spring, as the economic recovery continues to gain momentum. In fact, nearly two out of three employers surveyed by a leading employment consulting firm plan to hire from among this year’s crop of 1.8 million grads.