When times are good and the economy is expanding, companies grow in a variety of ways. They build in some redundancy so that key functions survive even if an employee leaves. They add capacity hoping to grow the size of the core business. They consider new projects or products that might enable the company to enter new markets. All of this is reflected in a growth in the number of employees at the firm.

When the economy takes a downturn, leaders immediately look for places to trim costs—and the base of workers is often an easy place to start. That is when the layoffs may begin: this year companies have already eliminated 800,000 jobs. So, what can you do to minimize the chances that one will find its way to you?

Be good at your job

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to protect

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