If I don't work I can't pay my bills period.

如果我不工作，一段时间内我会无法支付账单。

But companies do not pay out all their earnings in dividends each period.

但公司不会在每个时期都以股息的形式支付所有收益。

And so for that pay period that included May 12 then, how many total employees worked to receive pay?

那么，在包括 5 月 12 日在内的那个发薪期内，共有多少名员工通过工作领取工资？