The Headcount Solution : How to Cut Compensation Costs and Keep Your Best People

Almost 6500 companies were contacted for the survey of layoff policies and practices in October 2001. About 19 percent, or 1245, responded. Companies of all sizes were part of those answering, as shown in Table 2-1. The size of companies ranged from fewer than 100 employees to more than 10,000 employees.

The survey included organizations from diverse industries. However, five industries accounted for more than 50 percent of those responding: manufacturing, hi-tech health care, insurance, and wholesale-retail trade. Manufacturing alone accounted for 20 percent, and hi-tech accounted for 14 percent of the survey database.

The survey responses were almost evenly divided among companies that had conducted layoffs in the last 12 months (49 percent) and those that had not (51 percent).