Remarkable, isn’t it, the number of companies making these early announcements of layoffs. It has to do with several factors. One is the anticipated “sequestration” which is the reduction in defense spending. United Technologies is a big defense contractor and they and Boeing, Lockheed and others know their margins will be severely squeezed in 2013. To please Wall Street analysts, they have to display a willingness to lower costs by laying off thousands. The smarter of these companies are making the announcements sooner than later. My suspicion is that the Christmas season of 2013 will be quite bleak.