[Terry_Roll]

Worked at the largest stock market listed supermarket in the 90's which is one of the largest employers in the UK after the NHS. They banned all but essential recruitment and cut back on everything like payrises, capital replacements to maximise profits because they didnt know how the Socialist Labour Govt was going to be with taxation. As it happened the Govt introduced working tax credits so a wage top up for the lowest paid, paid for by higher earning workers and it meant these companies could keep wages suppressed so they could build up a war chest and expand overseas which ended disastrously in the US.

Theres more than one way to skin a cat as they say, so layoffs can be seen in a few different lights.

Edit. Just because a company is listed on the stock market, like govt's doesnt mean they are not fronts for criminal activity!