Earnings management to avoid earnings decreases is likely to be reflected in cross-sectional distributions of earnings changes in the form of unusually low frequencies of small earnings decreases and unusually high frequencies of small earnings increases. Similarly, management to avoid losses will be reflected in the form of unusually low frequencies of small losses and unusually high frequencies of small positive earnings. We present two types of evidence to determine whether earnings management to avoid earnings decreases and losses exists. First, we present graphical evidence in the form of histograms of the pooled cross-sectional empirical distributions of scaled earnings changes and levels of earnings. Second, we present formal statistical tests of the following two hy potheses (in alternative form):