President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, scrutinized airplane manufacturer Embraer after the firm eliminated 4,000 employees (or about 20% of its workforce) without notifying unions. The current unemployment rate has reached 8.2% in Brazil, as the country's growth has slowed and many firms have cut jobs. The Brazilian government has thus been particularly concerned with unemployment recently, and the comments to Embraer may be a warning to other companies considering layoffs. Embraer's labor unions are currently fighting to reverse the layoffs.
See "Brazil's Lula blasts jetmaker Embraer for job cuts", March 1, 2009