Many small and mid-size businesses have laid off workers, according to a new survey of 400 companies nationwide.

The projections are based on an annual survey of 500 large American companies.

A survey of 254 leading companies showed that 71 per cent thought exam results a poor guide to an individual's abilities at work.

In a survey of 100 companies, the Direct Marketing Association found that 81 percent had turned to the post office.

In a survey of 1,380 companies, two-thirds said they would be cutting medical benefits for retirees.

But the study, which included a survey of 20 local and long-distance companies, found that even more promising avenues of competition were running dry.

A recent survey of 78 big companies indicates otherwise.

The survey, of 57 companies with median revenue of $1.5 billion, was conducted after Sept. 11.

The figures are based on responses to a survey of between 2,500 to 3,000 large companies.

That compares with 4 percent receiving assistance in a 1981 survey of nearly 400 major companies by Catalyst.