, Columnist
US Companies Aren’t Firing as They Usually Do
Corporate America has never been known to shy away from layoffs. Could it finally be putting greater emphasis on human capital?
Less pink can mean more growth.
Photographer: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
If corporate America were a single employer, it’d be one where the human resources department keeps a stack of pink slips handy. During recessions, companies have typically erred on the side of shedding as many workers as possible, rather than trying to retain human capital for the next expansion.
As the US heads into another economic downturn, it might be time to put the pink slips away.