July 19, 2009
3:45-5:00 p.m.

John A. Challenger

Employment Trends in a Post Recession Economy

The current recession, which began in December 2007 and is expected to be the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, will surely put to rest one-time concerns about looming labor shortages, right?  Probably not  The recession, if it has any impact at all on long-term employment trends, will only delay the inevitable.  This speaker will address how labor shortages, immigration, globalization, outsourcing and other trends impacting employment and the workplace will be impacted by our current economic situation and what we can expect to see on these fronts in five, 10, and 20 years.

John A. Challenger is chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., the global outplacement consultancy that pioneered outplacement as an employer-paid benefit in the 1960s.

A recognized thought leader on workplace, labor, and economic issues, his insight is frequently sought out by major foreign and domestic broadcast and print media.

In 2003, Challenger gave testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Small Business on the issue of permanent job loss in a global economy. In 2002, at the height of the turmoil over corporate governance, The Wall Street Journal invited Challenger to address the issue in a bylined article that appeared in The Journal on June 25, 2002. He served on the labor/human resource committee of The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago for a three-year term.

Challenger serves on the President’s Circle steering committee of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is president and board member of the Japan America Society of Chicago. In 2004, he served on the Host Committee for the Annual Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference. Challenger is also a member of the board of the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago and chaired the organization’s 2005 Summit, during which he conducted an interview with former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman. Challenger is active in the Chicago chapters of World Presidents Organization and Chief Executives Organization.