11.   A former employer said he vaguely remembers Ashbrook.

12.   Business groups vigorously resisted new workplace rules, which employers say would be too costly.

13.   But costly housing is making it increasingly difficult to recruit employees to the region, employers say.

14.   But a former employer said he had been dismissed from a dishwashing and cleaning job about a month before the blast.

15.   But employers say that without strong growth, the change could drive up costs and create even more layoffs.

16.   But high-tech employers say the demand is far greater for skilled workers, such as computer programmers and engineers.

17.   But some employers say children prefer the comforts of home to an unfamiliar center.

18.   But some employers say they cannot afford to wait.

19.   By contrast, employers say HMOs cost them less than traditional health plans.

20.   Employers say exporting jobs to lower-cost countries is a matter of economic survival.