The latest report on downsizing activity reveals that planned job cuts announced by employers in August fell to 34,768, the lowest monthly total in over a decade, job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. said today. August job cuts were down 17 percent from the 41,676 cuts announced in July, the firm said. This marks the first decline following three consecutive months of increases. August not only replaces April as the lowest job-cut month of the year, it represents the lowest job-cut month since June 2000, when employers announced only 17,241 planned layoffs.