Fierce Pharma outlines how 20,000 pharma folks were laid off from 5 companies in 2008.

I hate to point this out, but if big pharma can let all of those folks go without major issues continuing to do business, then those employees were not adding value (or very much of it).

As one marketeer put it to me: if you can’t show me where you made me $$, saved me $$ or saved me time - why do I employ you? Pharma sales reps with biology/chemistry or molecular degrees - send me your information. In my areas our candidates provide real value and therefore, are not laid off.