Bunuel
Which of the following most logically completes the argument?
In the last two years, Kaiba Corporation, an electronics manufacturer, has laid o§ more than 20% of its workforce as its competitors cut into Kaiba's market share. A popular new line of products just released by Kaiba promises to increase profits and allow the company to expand into other markets. However, it would be premature to conclude that Kaiba's expansion will result in an increase in its workforce, because .
(A) the electronics industry is unlikely to undergo any major changes over the next several years.
(B) the company's success has largely been a result of relying on contractors instead of in-house employees for production and marketing.
(C) Kaibaís popular new product line was a joint venture with one of the company's competitors.
(D) most of the employees that Kaiba laid o§ in the last two years have moved on to other industries and would not seek employment at the company again.
(E) Kaiba considers that its current workforce is at least as productive on a per-employee basis as its workforce two years ago.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
B
To logically complete the passage, we need a reason why Kaiba's expansion wouldn't include an increase in their workforce. We know that decreasing market share led to a decrease in the workforce, so there must be some outside factor that is affecting the usual correlation between the size of the company and the
number of workers needed.
Choice (A) is incorrect, as it doesn't give us any change at all, let alone any details that apply directly to Kaiba's situation. Choice (B) tells us something new about Kaiba (their reliance on contractors) that suggests they don't need employees of their own. If they can grow without new employees, and it has had a positive effect on their business, it makes sense that they wouldn't hire new employees as they expand. This looks like a solid choice.
Choice (C) is irrelevant, as it doesn't address employment figures at all. (D) is also irrelevant. We aren't concerned with the specific employees that Kaiba
laid of in the past; we care about Kaiba's employment numbers. (E) is on the right track, but if the current workforce is only "at least as productive" as it was before, it would seem to need more employees as it grows. If the current workforce were substantially more productive, they might not need more workers, but we don't know if that's the case. (B) is the correct choice.