This suggested companies might be reaching limits in how hard they can push existing employees and have begun to hire new ones.

Evan said most of them drank, and just kept hiring new ones.

The obvious remedy for an unsuccessful team is to fire the players, or at least the more incompetent among them, and hire better ones.

When uncertain about the economic outlook, companies tend to squeeze more production from existing workers rather than hiring new ones.

They often hire spooks to look after their security - but not good ones.

When business is picking up, employers tend to add overtime for current workers before hiring new ones.

They hired other stupid ones to do the wrangling and snarling for them.

If necessary, dismiss all of them and hire new ones.

"We'll hire new ones if we have to," Aiah says.

Splitting their differences, the two sides agreed to spend $1.3 billion, dedicating 20 percent of the money to training teachers rather than hiring new ones.