With a record number of new companies starting up in Derderia and with previously established companies adding many jobs, a record number of new jobs were created last year in the Derderian economy. This year, previously established companies will not be adding as many new jobs overall as such companies added last year. Therefore, unless a record number of companies start up this year, Derderia will not break its record for the new jobs created.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?

A. Each year, new companies starting up create more new jobs overall than do previously established companies.
B. Companies established last year will not add a greater number of jobs overall this year than they did last year.
C. This year, the new companies starting up will not provide substantially more jobs per company than did new companies last year.
D. THis year, the overall number of jobs created by previously established companies will be less than the overall number of jobs lost at those companies.
E. The number of jobs created in the Derderian economy last year was substantially larger than the number of jobs lost last year.

How does one tackle this problem?

I think the answer is C.

The conclusion is "Therefore, unless a record number of companies start up this year, Derderia will not break its record for the new jobs created. "

The author has concluded that the establishment of new companies is not enough and the number of the new startups must be a record number. from this we can tell that there is some kind of a limit on the number of new jobs an average startup will provide.

C state that assumption "This year, the new companies starting up will not provide substantially more jobs per company than did new companies last year."

correct.

when you examine questions involving quantitative arguments - which this argument definitely is, even though it doesn't contain actual numbers - you should focus especially on the quantitative parts of the argument.

sure enough, in this problem, the issue is to be found in the numbers: the argument asserts that a record number of new startups must be founded. however, what's actually needed is a record number of new startup jobs. therefore, you need an assumption that solidifies the idea that, unless a record number of startups are founded, you won't get a record number of startup jobs, either.

choice c does exactly that.