by approximately 900 people when comparing year-end 2007 to year-end 2006, with acquisitions adding approximately 2,500 employees, while restructuring and the pharmaceuticals divestiture reduced employment.

 

Capital Spending/Net Property, Plant and Equipment:

 

The bulk of 3M capital spending historically has been in the United States, resulting in higher net property, plant and equipment balances in the United States. The Company is striving to more closely align its manufacturing and sourcing with geographic market sales, and because approximately 64 percent of sales are outside the United States, this would increase production outside the United States, helping to improve customer service and reduce working capital requirements. Capital expenditures were $1.471 billion in 2008, similar to 2007. Capital expenditures are expected to be reduced by more than 30 percent in 2009.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

 

Information regarding significant accounting policies is included in Note 1. As stated in Note 1, the preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

 

The Company believes its most critical accounting estimates relate to legal proceedings, the Company’s pension and postretirement obligations, asset impairments and income taxes. Senior management has discussed the development, selection and disclosure of its critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of 3M’s Board of Directors.

 

Legal Proceedings:

 

The categories of claims for which the Company has estimated its probable liability, the amount of its liability accruals, and the estimates of its related insurance receivables are critical accounting estimates related to legal proceedings. Please refer to the section entitled “Accrued Liabilities and Insurance Receivables Related to Legal Proceedings” (contained in “Legal Proceedings” in Note 14) for additional information about such estimates.

 

Pension and Postretirement Obligations:

 

3M has various company-sponsored retirement plans covering substantially all U.S. employees and many employees outside the United States. The Company accounts for its defined benefit pension and postretirement health care and life insurance benefit plans in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 87, “Employers’ Accounting for Pensions,” SFAS No. 106, “Employer’s Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other than Pensions,” in measuring plan assets and benefit obligations and in determining the amount of net periodic benefit cost, and SFAS No. 158, “Employer’s Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans an amendment of FASB Statements