The discussions around layoff numbers reminds me of these passages from Catch-22:
“They began to invent humourless, glum jokes of their own and disastrous rumours about the destruction awaiting them at Bologna.
Yossarian sidled up drunkenly to Colonel Korn at the officers' club one night to kid with him about the new Lepage g-n that the Germans had moved in.
'What Lepage g-n?' Colonle Korn inquired with curiousity.
'The new three-hundred-and-forty-four-millimeter Lepage glue g-n,' Yossarian answered. 'It glues a whole formation of planes together in mid-air.'
Colonel Korn jerked his elbow free from Yossarian's clutching fingers in startled affront. 'Let go of me, you id--t!' he cried out furiously, glaring with vindictive approval as Nately leaped upon Yossarian's back and pulled him away.
...
(later)
...
Captain Black came stomping in from outside, ba----g his sloshing shoes down hard on the wood floor and spilling water from his eaves like a high roof.
'Boy, are you ba----ds in for it!' he announced exuberantly, splashing away from the puddle forming at his feet. 'I just got a call from Colonel Korn. Do you know what they've got waiting for you at Bologna? Ha! Ha! They've got the new Lepage glue g-n. It glues a whole formation of planes together in mid-air.'
'My God, it's true!' Yossarian shrieked, and collapsed against Nately in te---r.”