New York, NY (WFN) -- Companies in the U.S. will be spreading the Christmas cheer a little thicker this year than last.

According to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, spending for holiday office parties is going to return to the pre-recession rates of two years ago.

Challenger researchers were told by heads of companies that budgets are being cut elsewhere just so they can keep the Christmas party, calling it a way of "acknowledging their employees."

Companies aren't sparing the expense either. Outplacement firm CEO John Challenger says in some cases employers are opting for steak instead of chicken.

It sounds like good news but Challenger says, "We may never again return to the extravagant parties that became common during the high-flying bubble years of the late 1990s."

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