Because 580 is the total amount, and 87 is the amount to be laid off.

Word form: Eighty seven over five hundred eighty.

Simplified version..

3/20

Word form: Three over twenty.

PS: Ignore the people who gives %’s and decimals, the question clearly asked for “the fractional part”.

Edit: I’ll explain it. The reason the answer is 87/580, is because there was 580 people to begin with (so you place the number down to the bottom of the fraction), and 87 is on the top because thats the expected group of people to be laid off. The bottom ALWAYS has the number that has the number to begin with, and the top is the number that is to be taken away or added to. When reduced, the answer is 3/20. You can use a calculator, type in 87/580 then press the = sign. It will tell you the same thing. Good luck!

87/580

87 divided by 580

.15

.15 equals 15/100

15/100 = 3/20 (simplify the fraction)

3/20 people will get fired

87/580 = 15

15/100 is your fraction (15%)

3/20 is your simplified fraction.

If you want an explanation, let me know…

That means that 100-15 = 85% are not going to be laid off

or

0.15

or

15%