Companies and government agencies announced a lot fewer job cuts in Illinois last month compared with September. The latest job cuts data come from Challenger, Gray and Christmas, a Chicago company that helps employers manage the process of laying off workers.

In October, Challenger, Gray says, about 2,300 job cuts were announced in Illinois, down by more than a third from September. Nationally the number dropped even more – by almost two-thirds - as government agencies and financial companies announced many fewer layoffs.

But CEO John Challenger says nationally, as a special congressional committee works to reduce the deficit, more job cuts are likely.

“For example, the post office has been talking about a job cut that may be one of the biggest of all time – numbers like 200,000 have been mentioned,” Challenger said.

In Illinois, the biggest announced job cuts in October came from the cell phone company Motorola Mobility, the city of Chicago, the Jewel supermarket chain and the Chicago Transit Authority, according to Challenger, Gray.