Challenger Gray Christmas

Teens hoping for employment this summer aren't likely to find the job market much better than last year, when teenage job seekers experienced the weakest seasonal market in decades.

The number of CEOs departures last month fell 30% to 92, compared to 132 a year ago. February's total was also slightly lower than that of January, when 96 top executives exited their posts, according to job-services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Whether it was a fresh startup or a fresh start, fewer Americans seemed willing to take career risks last year, according to a new report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The percentage of job-seekers starting their own businesses or relocating for new positions fell to historic lows in 2010.

Last month, 96 CEO changes were announced by U.S. based companies, reports job-services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, among them the heads of Google and Advanced Micro Devices. The number is down 9% from December, but 8% higher than January 2010, when 89 CEOs left their corner offices behind.

It's hard to fathom that something as mundane as weather could affect employment statistics. But it clearly does. And it also has big impact on how much work actually gets done. And beyond the snows of winter, there's distractions like the Super Bowl that keep worker from their duties.

Private employers added 187,000 jobs in January, ADP announced Wednesday, 47,000 more then economists had predicted. That marks the fourth straight month of significant job gains -- a trend that suggests the U.S. labor market is recovering.

The all-important January employment reports come out this week. Also worth watching for are a host of earnings releases, led by economic bellwhether UPS. The package deliverer is expected to post strong results.

Tech layoffs came to just under 47,000 last year, according to employment-services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Better still, during the next 10 years, the sector is forecast to have one of the fastest paces of job creation of any industry.

A new survey by job-services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found the number of unemployed seeking work similar to what it found in 2009. Now, though, people are more optimistic that they'll land a job. Challenger agrees, but it notes the path is still long and difficult.

Though the job market remains challenging, for one group, the labor market was at its steadiest of the year last month. The number of chief executives departing their jobs fell to 79 in November, the lowest monthly number of 2010, according to job-services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.