Company employee crisis

The company laid off employees during the crisis, so at the end of the crisis, it had 40% fewer employees than before the crisis. When the company hired 42 new employees after the crisis subsided, it had 25% more than at the end of the crisis. How many employees did the company have before the crisis?

Final Answer:

x =  280

Step-by-step explanation:

$$\begin{gathered} r_1=100\%-40\%=1-\frac{40}{100}=0.6 \\ {r}_2=100\%+25\%=1+\frac{25}{100}=1.25 \\ a+42=r_2\cdot a \\ a+42=1.25\cdot a \\ 0.25a=42 \\ a=\frac{42}{0.25}=168 \\ a=168 \\ x\cdot r_1=a \\ x=a/r_1=168/0.6=280 \end{gathered}$$

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