It's not just the layoffs, it's the other business affected

[DainBramaged]

Merck cuts 7500 jobs (not immediately but by 2008) but cuts them none the less, to save THEM $4 BILLION and keep the stockholders happy. Doesn't matter that their most valuable trained assets are gone.

But there's always another side to these layoffs. All the coffee shops on the way to work lose. All the sandwich shops at lunchtime lose. All the gas stations and repair shops and tire guys lose. All the restaurants at night lose. All the stores at the mall lose. The guys at EB games lose, and so do the folks at Borders and Target. Everyone loses when massive job cuts are announced. Because that much money is taken out of the economy.

Always to keep the stockholders happy.

[Cassandra]

1. And when top management rips off the stockholders...

they're not happy, either.