Then there were all the exec VPs and plain old VPs out the kazoo. The downsizing was 2,200 at their Houston location. Worldwide it was almost 5,000. That's ONE company. Then there are all the mergers and golden parachutes.
Every merger is another major layoff, but the parachutes are very few.
If you're an average Joe and you get real lucky, the company will hire a group to help you write a resume and give you a desk and phone for 3 months while you try to find a job in a field that's beening eaten up alive, from the top.