For 2011 the number of employees will be 17.33 millions.
The linear equation that best models the number of employees (in Millions) is
Step-by-step explanation:
If we wish to model the data as a straight line, we need to use the straight line formula:
where x is the years that have passed since the year 2000, m is the slope of the line and b the value of y when x=0, and y the numer (in millions) of employees.
For x=5 we know that y(5) = 14.4. So, we have:
And for x=14 we know that y(14)= 18.8
Subtracting the first equation from the second one:
Putting this in the second equation
So, our equation will be:
For 2011 the number of employees will be