21.   For the last six months, American companies have been laying off tens of thousands of workers, while their counterparts in Europe have been adding to their payrolls.

22.   He has been looking for a new job since August but says all he has found are companies laying off or freezing positions.

23.   He said many companies are laying off workers, so there was no need to allow more foreign workers to take those jobs.

24.   His industrial companies are laying off workers and cutting back production.

25.   In an era when rapid technological change enables companies to lay off workers and increase profitability, imperfect experience rating is even less defensible.

26.   In Brooklyn, N.Y., however, one small company lays claim to having it all while carrying nothing.

27.   Income is not up substantially, and companies are still laying off by the thousands.

28.   Job opportunities grew last month even as big companies laid off workers, according to an index of help-wanted advertisements prepared by the Conference Board.

29.   More companies laid off workers last month than hired new employees, the Richmond Fed report showed.

30.   Most of its deaths are among laborers, who are easily replaced, and the company is laying men off anyway, Gorman said.