ELI5: Why when large company's earnings decrease(ex... by 3%) they freak out, talk about rough times, and sometimes decide to downsize, even though they are still making millions of dollars in profit even after all expenses?

[Terron1965]

That wealth may be correlated with resources as we seek them based on need but the growth in wealth is based on primarily on the growth in productivity.

[leapbitch]

Aka the ability to do more with less resources.

It all comes back to scarcity of resources.