Announced U.S. Job Cuts Rise 11% From Year Ago, Challenger Says

``Employers in the U.S. announced more job cuts in April than a year earlier, led by education and government agencies. Planned firings rose 11 percent to 40,559 from April 2011, according to figures released today by Chicago-based Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. The monthly average of 45,913 cuts through the first four months of this year is lower than the full-year average of 50,507 for 2011.''