Why don't they respond?

In todays environment, with credit tight and jobs being lost, more people are facing a layoff or have been laid off. Unemployment is rising to 6% and will likely go higher by 2009.
With all this, I'm wondering about employers. As with their accounting and internal compliance, are they also just lazy when it comes to job postings?
Let me expand on this. I've noticed a trend over the past few years when posting for a job that has been advertised. Typically, one doesn't get any response from an employer that they've received your resume and application; over the past few years, however, you don't even get any response if you get selected for an interview. What happens afterward? Sure they make a selection, but why can't they have the simple courtesy of notifying at least those they interviewed of the outcome?
I know, they use the excuse that they get soooo many applications they can't possibly answer them all. Did they ever use the same excuse with loan applications? Of course not. They just don't want to; it places them in a position to have to justify their decision, and heavens knows they can't be dong that! Heck, it's just easier to keep people hanging; so what if they have bills to pay, mortgages to meet, families to feed. They'll figure it out soon enough and apply somewher else.
Balderdash. Corporate America has just become lazy in this as in everything else. People aren't people, they're applicants or "resources" to be managed. We can't have "people" running around, that makes business too messy, what with being considerate, polite, and most of all, [dare I say it], loyal and all. If we're loyal to an employee, next we'll have to be so to our shareholders, then our customers. What about us, the executives, who's loyal to us? Well ya know, it all comes around to bite you on the tush, bud.
There are alot of people out there hurting right now and looking for work. The LEAST businesses can do is to respond to them. So it bumps your expense by ~$800 a month in having to send out postcards saying we selected someone else, or nothing to send an email to 2000 applicants. It's better having a bottom line than not, and treating applicants right means also treating customers right, because many apply to businesses they know. Mess with them and they'll leave you.
Companies have to have a broader perspective than they have, or have had. Maybe if they did, so much of what has happened over the past year would have been avoided. Loyalty comes down to simple respect.
Something many business have lost.