11.   He cited support the magazine has gotten from Conde Nast, its parent company, which has enabled Wired to avoid layoffs even amid the advertising downturn.

12.   He says his workers have responded to the crisis by pulling together and accepting cuts in pay and hours to avoid layoffs.

13.   His other priorities, he said, would be to protect education and public safety, avoid layoffs, and then to maintain existing programs.

14.   However, the executives said they hoped to avoid layoffs.

15.   In the end, a deal was struck that would both avoid layoffs and keep the existing Continental management team in place, said Neher.

16.   It will try to avoid layoffs by cutting jobs through attrition and transferring some employees to affiliated companies, the spokesman said.

17.   Japanese unemployment rates are usually said to reflect the determination of big firms to avoid layoffs.

18.   Labor unions have already granted broad concessions in an effort to avoid layoffs.

19.   Layoffs can be avoided because the MBTA workforce will naturally shrink with attrition, maintains the administration.

20.   Lexington, Mass.-based Raytheon said it initiated the buyout programin hopes of avoiding layoffs.