Gonna Party Like a Slowdown's Comin' On

It's not even Thanksgiving yet and the grinch is about. Apparently, fewer companies are planning on some type of holiday celebration this year. Search firm Battalia Winston says 85 percent of the companies it surveyed plan a party this season, nine percent less than last year, and the third lowest percentage in the 19 years its been asking the question. (The low point was during a recession in 1991.) Some 70 percent - 15 percent fewer than last year will be serving alcohol. Is there a link between more subdued company parties and economic worries? Battalia Winston Chief Executive Dale Winston thinks so. "Throughout the years, we've learned that the percentage of company parties is directly linked to the health of the economy. This year more businesses are opting for afternoon affairs and less alcohol than in 2006," he said.