Question

a company has been forced to reduce its number of employees. today the company has 38% fewer employees than it did a year ago. if there are currently 279 employees, how many employees did the company have a year ago?

Explanation:

Step1: Define the relationship

Let the number of employees a year ago be $x$. The current number of employees is $x$ minus 38% of $x$. So, the current number of employees is $x(1 - 0.38)$.

Step2: Set up the equation

We know the current number of employees is 279. So, $x(1 - 0.38)=279$, which simplifies to $0.62x = 279$.

Step3: Solve for $x$

Divide both sides of the equation by 0.62: $x=\frac{279}{0.62}$.
$x = 450$.

Answer:

450