In a move that could soon be echoed by other retailers, Home Depot has announced the layoff of 500 workers at its headquarters in Atlanta. The layoffs, which account for about a tenth of the retailer's area workforce, seem to have been prompted by a nationwide slowdown in consumer spending, and a corresponding decline in sales.
See "Home Depot Will Lay Off 500 Workers", Michael Barbaro, The New York Times, January 31, 2008