Economists tell us that we’re on the way out of recession and the economy is growing again, but many people complain it certainly doesn’t feel that way. The lack of jobs has a lot to with the gloom, but those who say this is the least fun economic upswing ever now have more ammunition to make their case — apparently in American offices 2010 was the least festive holiday season in decades.

Executive search firm Amrop Battalia Winston reports on our seasonal partying each year with its Annual Survey of Corporate Holiday Celebrations, which keeps close tabs on invite lists and cocktail bar composition at more than 100 employers. And wow was this year a downer.

You’d be forgiven for assuming 2008 or 2009, when the recession was raging, would be the most dismal year for parties, but 2010 takes the cake, The survey found, “the worst holiday party slump in the past 22 years, with only 79 percent of businesses conducting some type of holiday celebration…. This is down from 81 percent in both 2009 and 2008.”

Not only were fewer firms ponying up for a party, many of the companies that did host a celebration were making them more modest:

28 percent say their parties will be more modest; this is on the heels of the nearly half (49 percent) who downsized in 2009. 69 percent will be employee only, and 26 percent of organizations intend to invite employees and their families. This is up from 2006, when only 52 percent of respondents held parties only for employees. Company involvement in charity events is also down significantly this holiday season. Less than half (47 percent) of companies will be donating to charities this year (down from 66 percent in 2009, and 74 percent in 2008).

The survey did reveal one bright spot — more free booze. 79 percent of companies said they were serving alcohol at their annual event this year, up from 73 percent the year before. How did your office Christmas party stack up to other years, and do you think the lack of celebration at many offices points to a gloomy year to come?

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