Sacramento Bee Stung By More Staff Layoffs

Image via WikipediaThe McClatchy Co.-owned Sacramento Bee has slashed its work force by 6 percent, including nine newsroom slots among the 44 eliminated positions, according to The Sacramento Business Journal.

Bee management blamed lagging circulation and diminished advertising revenues for the latest round of cutbacks. First Quarter results in April reflected a 9.5 percent decline in  revenues and an 11 percent decrease in advertising revenues compared to corresponding figures in 2010. (See "TUOL" posts 5/4/11 & 2/1/11.)


The Sacramento Business Journal reported that the Bee has shed roughly 400 jobs over the past three years, halving its staff from 1,400 to 700 since March 2008. Those receiving pink slips are eligible for severance pay commensurate with their length of service.

The Bee is one of 30 dailies owned by McClatchy Co, the nation's third-largest newspaper chain, which overall, has eliminated more than 4,300 staff positions from its stable of newspapers dating back to June 2008, according to the Journal article.