Critical Reasoning

Beta Corporation claims that it no longer has enough work for the 60 computer data-entry workers that it is laying off. These workers have heard, however, that the company is buying 100 new computers. So the workers concluded that the company's real reason for laying them off is to fill their jobs with lower-paid workers.

Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the workers' conclusion?

(A) Most of the workers being laid off know how to enter data on a number of different computer systems.

=> It is irrelevant because it does not have any impact.

(B) Orders for almost all of Beta Corporation products have increased over the past year.

=> Data entry does not have any relation with the production of the company.

(C) A recent memorandum from the president of Beta Corporation requested that all data generated by the company be stored in computerized form.

=> Here is the explanation why the company purchased the 100 new computer. If it is true, then there is no chance to hire new cheap labor.

(D) Beta Corporation's computer data-entry workers are more experienced and hence more highly paid than people doing comparable work in other companies.

=> So what?

(E) Beta Corporation's new computers will allow its current management and sales staff to perform many of the tasks that the data-entry workers were previously doing.

=> If these newly bought computers are used in work, then there is a chance of hiring new employees. And if they hire new employees, there is a chance of hiring cheap labor for data entry. It will finally strengthen the conclusion drawn by the employees.

[spoiler]OA: E[/spoiler]

Please see my explanation. Where am I missing? I think E is strengthening the conclusion of the workers, who think that the company is hiring cheap labor.

Since the question stem says 'if true', we can not challenge the answer choice.

Thanks.

Hi Gmat_perfect,

The conclusion of the the workers is :
company's real reason for laying them off is to fill their jobs with lower-paid workers. - effect
based on the reason that the comapny is buying 100 new computers - cause

Our task here is to weaken that conclusion.

Option E says that the new computers are to compensate for the work of the laid-off employees.
So options E is showing another effect for the cause. It says, even if the cause occurs the intended effect will not occur.

Hence it undermines the conclusion.

=> If these newly bought computers are used in work, then there is a chance of hiring new employees. And if they hire new employees, there is a chance of hiring cheap labor for data entry. It will finally strengthen the conclusion drawn by the employees.

The mistake you are making is that you are assuming so many things. You are assuming that the company will hire someone to use these computers. Which is wrong. these are only for those currently working people as stated in the passage.
You are assuming that the new workers are going to be cheap labor. this is also unnecessary assumption.

Hope this helps!!

workers think that cheap labor is responsible for their being laid off. But E clearly says that new computers can do all the jobs that was being done by data entry workforce.

E simple gives some other reason other than what workers think there by breaking the causal relationship.