(AFX UK Focus) 2009-02-09 21:18 US employers try to avoid layoffs as economy reels (Interactive Investor)

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - U.S. employers are resorting to a range of measures to avoid layoffs as the year-long recession deepens, but analysts expect the steps to have a marginal impact on the overall employment numbers. The worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression has resulted in a surge in unemployment, but an increasing number of companies are cutting back on …