With a record number of new companies starting up in

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, unless a record number of companies start up this year, Derderia will not break its record for new jobs created.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?

a) Each year, new companies starting up create more new jobs 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 companies 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 larger than the number of jobs lost last year.