11.   The chief executive of Qantas Airways said Friday he will forego a hefty performance bonus as the company prepares to shed thousands of jobs and freeze staff wages.

12.   The banks were also forced to shed thousands of workers and close down dozens of retail branches across the country in a restructuring program.

13.   To cope, manufacturers have sharply cut production and shed thousands of workers.

14.   But the venture proved disastrous, with the new addition losing four billion dollars and shedding thousands of jobs under its new name Global Information Solutions.

15.   They have already shed thousands of employees and, like most in the industry, are waiting to see whether the much touted recovery actually takes hold.