Happy Holidays - You’re Fired

BankAmerica Corp. and two other companies spread some sad holiday news Thursday, telling thousands of workers their jobs would be eliminated.

BankAmerica announced it would cut 3,700 jobs; Greenwich, Conn.-based chemical maker Witco Corp. said its payroll would be trimmed by 1,800 and children’s book publisher Golden Books Family Entertainment Inc. in Wisconsin said it will eliminate 200 jobs.

“What you’re seeing is that the traditional holiday taboo that said you don’t lay people off or you don’t give people the pink slip during the holidays really is being whittled away,” said John Challenger, executive vice president of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc.

Job cuts announced last December were double previous years, he said. In 1995, there were 55,237 cuts announced during December, up from the usual 20,000 for the month in the past.