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[Erkki]

Small problem is, that in current patch, squads consisting of 10 dwarfs train slower than their skills rust (yep, I confirmed it). Dwarves train great when in squads of 2-3 dwarves, but microing 100 militia dwarves in 50 squads is like microing the zerg rush with selecting one zergling at time.

Most definitely not, unless you are just stationing them somewhere instead of giving them a barracks to train at. Regardless of squad size the Dwarves will form sparring pairs depending on at least how close in skills they are to each other. The bigger the squad, the closer in skills they are together, the better. But if you use mixed skills, mixed weapons and mixed equipment(such as some Dwarves not using shields or armor) the more of ineffective demonstrations they do.

When set to train 24/7/365 a 10-Dwarf squad where everyone starts at all-0 in military skills will be minimum 1 in fighter skill and 1 in some other skill in the first year and likely weapon skill 4-5 by the 3rd year. I've become too lazy to manage 2-man squads so I just separate skilled and skill-less ones and let them train - works well enough that I never need a danger room.

[Drawde]

Depending on what I'm doing, 70-80 works for me.  Though I will go for around 90 if I need a good military.

Once the fort gets going I rarely need more crafts.  Why keep making tables or barrels when I have a stockpile full of them that aren't being used?  Same with most craftskills.  Why keep making more when I'm not using what I have?

I rarely need to trade once I get self-sufficient.  Farms and animals get me all the food and alcohol I need.

I don't usually go for much more than I need.  Except for my current fort, which is building a green glass and bronze pyramid.

[PaleBlueHammer]

How much do you "need", assuming no megaprojects?  And assuming quantum stockpiling?  I survive just fine with:

Artisan Class (dedicated crafters), Military Class, and Serfs.  Artisans have almost all other labors turned off except their primary skill, military class trains 24x7.  Serfs do everything else.

1 dedicated planter (yes one), all other serfs harvest plants from the farms.  This same dwarf also tans hides, butchery is enabled on all serfs.

1 cook and 1 brewer, they work full time.  At legendary skill they have pretty much out-crafted a full fort of 200 for several years already.

2 builder dwarfs who do nothing but carpentry, masonry, and glassmaking/glazing/pottery at dedicated workshops to produce quality items, with other shops available for high-speed serf construction if necessary (need 36 beds right now!).  Normally serfs have masonry enabled for constructing walls/floors topside in order to get well walled in.

3 miners (I actually prefer more but 3 is enough) to keep the stone and ore flowing.

1 burner (furnace operator) and 1 metalsmith (armoring, weaponsmithing, and general smithing labors).

A few military (totally subjective, whatever you want to spare for an army... or none)

A few serfs for hauling and every other miscellaneous duty, and all those labors stay enabled on them.  All serfs carry an axe for woodcutting, none double as military.

This is VERY minimalistic but it fills my needs.  I usually make a full two-squad military and have around eight burners, a dedicated armor and weaponsmith (stays busy with bolts), a dedicated generic smith for furniture and goods and studs, a dedicated large pot maker for food/booze storage, a dedicated hunter, a dedicated fisherman (this dwarf is usually the first to die to any given threat), and about 6 total miners because I love the metal industry.

[Drawde]

I do usually require a couple threshers and weavers, with several farmers, to supply my fort with cloth.  Now that clothing is required.

Basically, you only need to worry about expendables once the fort gets going.  Food and alcohol, clothing, and bolts if you use them.  Most of my artisans become haulers once I no longer need their products.  Although I use one I don't really need a tanner, since I don't make leather products.

My current fort only has three squads of two soldiers each.  The only threat I have is a tower nearby, no goblins.  Though I had to build a pit lined with weapon traps to get rid of all the animal men that keep "invading" 

[Sutremaine]

Regardless of squad size the Dwarves will form sparring pairs depending on at least how close in skills they are to each other.

These pairs can overlap, just to clarify. I've seen three-dwarf squads with all three dwarves sparring among themselves.