Many businesses are being forced to downsize their number of employees to cut costs or because the business feels it should operate with fewer employees. Downsizing is the act of reducing the number employees on a companys payroll and is considered different than layoffs. Downsizing is scaling down the number of employees permanently rather than temporarily like layoffs. Employees who are laid off usually have a good chance at being rehired, where as those who are victims of downsizing do not.
The majority of layoffs are due to a companys desire to lower costs. Usually there will be employees in positions that are unnecessary, thus allowing the company to do the same amount of work with fewer employees to pay. Other times when layoffs are high are when employees are simply not working to the standards of the company and their competition is much more successful. Sometimes this situation can be prevented if the employees get word of a possible layoff ahead of time, but many times businesses will still layoff employees even if they will lose profits in the end.
When downsizing occurs it is generally due to a much more serious situation than when employees are laid...