21.   The oil companies have been trimming back their costs, analysts said, in anticipation of a slowdown.

22.   The weakness was broadly based, as companies trimmed inventories and capital spending, and consumer spending and export sales slowed.

23.   Weak domestic demand and the strong yen, which are causing Japanese companies to trim their labor forces, are prompting some smaller businesses to go bankrupt.

24.   While states like California have seen managed care companies trim days for several years, New York is just starting to feel the squeeze.

25.   Zisson expects the companies to trim sales costs by combining sales forces.

26.   Car-makers have been particularly hard hit by the economic slowdown, laying off thousands so companies can trim inventories which have piled up because of slumping demand.

27.   Economists now worry that consumers will close their pocketbooks and companies will trim spending even more.

28.   In response, the company trimmed expenses by reducing flights on international routes and took other cost-cutting measures, it said.

29.   Other Japanese companies are trimming their European cell phone operations.

30.   Rechristened MG Rover, the company trimmed its work force and recast itself as a sportier brand.