Details from the October 2016 US Challenger layoffs report 3 November 2016
"One might be inclined to speculate that the impending election might be causing employers to hold off on major workforce decisions. However, we did not see similar declines in other election years. Of course, October 2008 marked the start of the Great Recession, with job cuts soaring to nearly 113,000. This low monthly total is most likely due to the fact the economy is relatively healthy and that most employers don’t see those conditions changing in the next three to six months," said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.