Just over 80 percent of companies are planning to have holiday parties this year, according to a survey released Monday by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.  Among those hosting parties, 8 percent said their party budget is smaller this year.  About 13 percent of respondents indicated that they are having their first holiday party after one or more years of not holding one.

The survey was conducted in November among a small sampling of approximately 75 human resources executives, representing a variety of industries across the country.

The percentage of companies not having parties is nearly double the approximately 10 percent of companies not having parties a year ago.