During the recession many companies will……….lay off workers.

The correct answer is be forced to.

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Understanding the Context:
The sentence discusses an action taken by companies during a economic recession. The subject ("many companies") is receiving the external pressure of economic hardship, which compels them to lay off workers. Therefore, a passive voice structure is required to show that the companies are compelled/obligated to take this action.

2. Analyzing the Verb Structure:
The passive construction of the verb "force" is formed as: to be forced + to-infinitive (i.e., be forced to do something).
Here, "lay off" is the base form of the main verb following "to", creating the infinitive phrase "to lay off".

3. Evaluating the Options:
• be forced to: Correct. It correctly uses the passive voice structure ("be forced") followed by the "to" infinitive marker for the verb "lay off".
• have the force to: Incorrect. This phrase is unidiomatic in this context and alters the intended meaning.
• forcefully: Incorrect. An adverb cannot grammatically connect "will" with the base verb "lay off" to convey passive compulsion.
• be forced into: Incorrect. The preposition "into" is followed by a noun or gerund (e.g., "into laying off"), not a base verb like "lay off".

4. Completed Sentence:
"During the recession many companies will be forced to lay off workers."