Which workforce planning technique is described by analyzing past data to project future staffing needs?

• A. Unit Demand forecasting.
• B. Replacement Chart.
• C. Succession Planning.
• D. Trend Projection.

Answer: (D)

Trend projection involves looking at how staffing levels have changed over time and using that pattern to forecast future needs. By analyzing past data—such as headcount trends, turnover rates, hiring rates, and relevant business indicators—you can extend the observed trend into the future to estimate how many employees will be required in upcoming periods. This approach captures growth, decline, and seasonal patterns, and can be done with simple line trends or more advanced time-series techniques. The description in the question matches this idea because it emphasizes using historical data to predict future staffing requirements. Other options serve different purposes: predicting demand for specific units or products, planning replacements for key roles when vacancies occur, or building a pipeline of leaders for the organization—none of which is primarily about forecasting overall staffing numbers based on past data.