The Metropolitan Museum of Art laid off 357 people today. This will save them $10 million—$28,000 per layoff. They still have 2,200 employees. Several uncultured questions:

  • What do 2,200 people do for the Metropolitan Museum? Even with retail stores and traveling exhibits and, you know, people to write the little captions on the museum things? This is a serious question. Please contribute answers in the comments.
  • So they laid off the low-earning schlubs. If they laid off the high-earning schlubs they would save more money, no?
  • Seriously even if you had 100 security guards and 200 art history experts and 100 janitors and 100 fundraisers and 100 construction workers and 200 retail workers and 100 tour guides that is only, what, 900 employees, what do these other people do? Please answer, thanks.
  • Isn't the real problem this whole "suggested donation" idea?

I am clearly not qualified to be a professional "knowledge worker," but, regardless, please answer. [Crains]