"We are asking them to pitch no-hitters every day," said John A. Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray.

Through September of this year layoffs are down 22 percent compared with 1996, according to Challenger Gray & Christmas, a Chicago firm that helps displaced workers find jobs.

"It merely means they have to work harder," said James E. Challenger, the president of Challenger Gray & Christmas, a job-placement concern in Chicago.

Consider, too, that the highest number of layoffs during the last decade came in 1998, amid the economic boom, according to Challenger, Gray.

John Challenger, the chief executive of Challenger, Gray, attributed the shift to a rebounding economy.

Web developers, petroleum engineers and pharmacists (with master's degrees) are among those likely to command higher pay right out of the gate, according to Challenger Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm.

"It's such a trend that it's become easier for companies to lay off workers now," says Rick Cobb, a vice president of Challenger, Gray.

For the last year, another job placement company, Challenger Gray & Christmas, has counted news reports of chief executives' departures from American companies of all sizes.

In the last 10 months, nearly 13,000 job cuts have been announced in these two sectors alone, according to Challenger Gray & Christmas, an outplacement company based in Northbrook, Ill.

John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger Gray & Christmas, the outplacement company, concurs.