Originally Posted by bradthepilot

Not necessarily. It takes only an hour or so to lay someone off, maybe less, depending on the paperwork. It takes a lot longer to advertise an open position, interview potential candidates, then select and hire one. Several days in the case of unskilled labor with people who are unemployed and available immediately, and several months or more in the case of filling skilled labor roles. Things always unwind faster than they can be wound back up.