Question 24899
Let x = the number of people employed by ACME, Inc.
The number of people laid off is 15% of x and this is equal to 2,500, so you can write: (Change the percent to equivalent decimal, 15% = 0.15))
{{{0.15x = 2500}}} Solve for x.  Divide both sides by 0.15
{{{x = 16666.67}}}
I have never seen 0.67 of a person, so I would say that ACME had 16,667 employees before the layoff.