most obvious answer for assumption is B

I think It's C:

A. if that's true and start-ups generate more jobs than old-timers, there needn't be a record number of start ups this year to break the record as the conclusion suggests - the new start ups might just have a higher jobs-per-startup average for instance.

B. this year's oldtimers were last year's startup and we know nothing how many jobs they offered last years as startups - the comparison in the stimulus is between last year's oldtimers (i.e. those set up in Y-2 - grey area for us) and this year's oldtimers. therefore it's not relevant to trhe assumption.

C. this makes sense. if 1) oldies this year provide fewer jobs that last year's oldies (stated explicitly in the stimulus) and 2) as C assumes, the jobs per startup ratio doesn't increase substantially, then the only way to break the record is to have more startups to compensate for oldies' loss

D and E mention the loss while the conclusion refers to the record for jobs created, not the overall job loss/gain (which is jobs gained-jobs lost - then it would be relevant).

quote="lan583"]With a record number of new companies starting up in Derderia and with previously established companies adding many jobs, a record number of new jobs were created last year in the Derderian economy. This year, previously established companies will not be adding as many new jobs overall as such companies added last year. Therefore, unelss a record number of companies start up this year, Derderia will not break its records for newe jobs created.

which of the following is an assumption on which the agument relies?

a. each year, new companies starting up create more new jbos overall than do previously established companies.
b. companies established last year will not add a greater number of jobs overall this year than they did last year.
c. this year, the new copmanies starting up will not provide substantially more jobs per company than did new companies last year.
d. this year, the overall number of jobs created by previously established companies will be less than the overall number of jobs lost at those companies.
e. the number of jobs created in the derderian economy last year was substantially large than the number of jobs lost last year.[/quote]
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"Amicus Plato, sed magic amica veritas"

Yes, I think A is very close to the argument, but here is how I pick B (probably wrong, but anyways)

This year, previously established companies will not be adding as many new jobs overall as such companies added last year. (this is one of the premises) -> so, companies established last year will not add a greater number of jobs overall this year than they did last year. (probably a classic mistake)

BUT Assumption is relied on the argument and the argument is:
Therefore, unelss a record number of companies start up this year, Derderia will not break its records for newe jobs created. -> so, A is more parallel and could be an assumption...

so this is where we make careless mistakes (at least I do)... everyone else who answered B, let this be a lesson to you

hey Matt... can you apply this Negation strategy and explain it??? please

OE is C. I picked B and turned out that C is the answer.

Answer: C.

CR Gist: "Unless a record number of companies start, the previous record for new employment will not be broken"

So, if less than record number of companies start and all of them together employ more than last year's record, then the CR conclusion would be false.

Therefore, C.

I change my answer from A to C.
Reasoning based on passage stating, "This year, previously established companies will not be adding as many new jobs overall as such companies added last year. Therefore...unless start up... Derderia will not break its records for new jobs created." meaning it still considers two factors for not breaking record, 1 is from previously estab, and 1 from new comp.
Therefore, A "each year, new companies starting up create more new jbos overall than do previously established companies" is incorrect for it was never assumed that one factor weighs more than the other. It was just stated that both are needed to break records.
C is correct, "each year, new companies starting up create more new jobs overall than do previously established companies"