Tech firms slip off best-employers list

The information technology industry has lost some bragging rights when it comes to employee-friendly companies. Fortune magazine's annual ranking of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" includes just one tech company in the top 10: semiconductor maker Xilinx. Last year, Xilinx was joined by software makers Adobe Systems and SAS Institute. Semiconductor companies Intel and Nvidia fell off the list completely from 2004 to 2005, and Microsoft dropped from 25th place to 57th.

Google, a hugely popular company to work for, was not listed. The Great Place to Work Institute, which helps Fortune compile the list, declined to comment on whether Google applied for inclusion. Applicants needed to be at least seven years old and have at least 1,000 employees. Topping the list this year, based on the publication's evaluation of the policies and culture of each company, as well as the opinions of each company's employees, is grocery store chain Wegmans Food Markets.