This page contains ClickZ's ongoing tally of layoffs and headcount reductions in the digital marketing and ad-supported media sectors. Have jobs been cut at your firm?
| 2008 Digital Ad and Marketing Industry Layoffs |
| Company |
Number of Employees Laid Off |
Announcement Date of Layoffs |
What Happened |
| Barbarian Group |
About 12 |
6/22/2009 |
Restructuring is focused mainly on Boston office. (Agency Spy)
|
| Joost |
About 70 (reports) |
6/30/2009 |
Company decides to switch focus to providing white label video platform. (More info)
|
| Razorfish |
10 percent |
6/22/2009 |
Cuts in June mainly due to recession (More Info)
|
| MRM New York |
Up to 25 |
4/10/2009 |
Cuts came in two rounds and are believed to have been across disciplines. (More Info)
|
| Veoh |
25 |
4/1/2009 |
CEO Steven Mitgang and 25 staffers are let go as company narrows focus to browser plug-in launched in January.
|
| Cadient |
10 Percent |
3/2009 |
A spokesperson for pharma and healthcare agency said the cuts were a result of reduced budget visibility.
|
| Forbes |
50 |
3/31/2009 |
Layoffs affected business and editorial staffers on both online and print sides of the business, according to MediaMemo and AFP reports.
|
| Google |
200 |
3/26/2009 |
Layoffs in sales and marketing will do away with inefficiencies created by rapid growth, Google says. (More Info)
|
| Mzinga |
40 |
3/19/2009 |
Eighteen percent workforce reduction was widely twittered by employees. (More Info)
|
| TheStreet.com |
18 |
3/19/2009 |
Financial publisher will cut 6 percent to save $2.4 million, WSJ reports. (More Info)
|
| Spot Runner |
60 |
3/16/2009 |
Cuts mostly affect local search and platform sales, as company refocuses on video ad services for national marketers. (More Info)
|
| WebMediaBrands |
60 |
3/4/2009 |
The Web media firm formerly known as JupiterMedia, which bought mediabistro last year, reduced its workforce by 25 percent. Remaining staffers face a 5 percent pay cut.
|
| Blizzard |
9 |
2/18/2009 |
Travel and hospitality marketing firm dismisses approximately nine employees, most of whom had been with the company for three to five years.
|
| Razorfish |
70 |
2/9/2009 |
Layoffs hit offices in Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle . (More Info)
|
| Waterfront Media |
20 |
2/6/2009 |
Cuts are chalked up to economic pain and reducing efficiencies with recently acquired Revolution Health. (More Info)
|
| About.com |
19 |
2/5/2009 |
Layoffs in sales, marketing and other units follow earlier cost cutting measures. (More Info)
|
| HoneyShed |
10 |
2/3/2009 |
Ten are let go as Publicis-backed QVC-for-hipsters site is shut down. (More Info)
|
| GroupM |
93 |
1/30/2009 |
At least 20 layoffs in digital as WPP-owned media services network cuts staff across the board. (More Info)
|
| AnchorFree |
Up to 6 |
1/30/2009 |
Sales staff U.K., Los Angeles, and New York are laid off or quit. (More Info)
|
| Marchex |
15 |
1/28/2009 |
Job cuts aim to reduce redundancies and streamline its product teams. PPC firm says economy not a central factor. (More Info)
|
| AOL |
700 |
1/28/2009 |
CEO Randy Falco cites major drop in digital ad spending, says company will focus business on three core areas: Platform A, MediaGlow and People Networks. (More Info)
|
| Fox Interactive Media |
100 |
1/16/2009 |
News Corp.-owned digital network has laid off staff in MySpace, SpringWidgets and other units. (WSJ)
|
| Federated Media |
7 |
1/16/2009 |
Staff reductions are part of a move to cut reliance on display advertising. (More Info)
|
| Google |
100 |
1/14/2009 |
In first-ever layoffs, Google reduces internal recruiters. The move follows contractor dismissals. (More Info)
|
| World Ave. |
30 percent |
1/9/2009 |
Lead gen services company has worked with clients like Blockbuster and Netflix. (Announcement)
|
| UGO Entertainment/ 1UP.com |
8 |
1/7/2009 |
Numerous employees are reportedly let go as Hearst-owned UGO buys popular destination for gamers from Ziff-Davis. (Joystiq)
|
| Peer39 |
4 |
1/6/2009 |
"Semantic ad network" dismisses sales staff and shutters its ad network to focus on its core technology, according to MediaMemo. (More Info)
|
| Clearspring |
20 percent |
1/5/2009 |
Widget management platform lays off staff "to focus on key growth markets and...core products and services," CEO Hooman Radfar wrote on the company's blog. (More at TechCrunch)
|
| Definition 6 |
8 |
1/5/2009 |
Atlanta digital agency are due to impact of credit crunch on manufacturing clients. (More Info)
|
| PHD |
2 |
1/5/2009 |
Omnicom-owned agency confirms two digital staffers were dismissed as part of broad layoffs.
|
| Joost |
14 |
12/27/2008 |
Hulu competitor eliminates redundancies in shift to Web-based application.
(More Info) |
| Harris Interactive |
51 |
12/18/2008 |
Rochester, N.Y. firm lays off 8 percent
(AdAge) |
| Organic Detroit |
10 |
12/18/2008 |
Layoffs are not all Chrysler related, says a spokesperson. |
| ePrize |
Under 20 |
12/18/2008 |
Firm still expects growth this year, calls headcount reduction "proactive."
(ClickZ) |
| Gaia Online |
13 percent |
12/15/2008 |
Virtual world for kids, which accepts some advertising, prepares for downturn. (Company blog post) |
| WebMD |
4 to 5 percent |
12/10/2008 |
Headcount reduction made possible by efficiencies resulting from acquisitions and technology integrations. (8K filing) |
| CareerBuilder |
300 |
12/10/2008 |
Chicago-based jobs board cuts estimated 15 percent of 2,000 staffers, says the Trib. (More info) |
| Exponential |
8 percent |
12/10/2008 |
GigaOm reports an undetermined number of layoffs as ad network company retrenches for the downturn. (More info) |
| Eyeblaster |
6 |
12/10/2008 |
Headcount reduction in Israel affects 5 percent of staff. (More info) |
| RealNetworks |
130 |
12/4/2008 |
Roughly 7.5 percent of global workforce is let go as costs are brought into line with revenue expectations. (More info) |
| Akamai |
115 |
11/20/2008 |
Content delivery network to cut 7 percent of staff. |
| Current TV |
About 30 |
11/11/2008 |
Al Gore-founded TV and Web start-up eliminates 60 positions and creates 30 new ones. (ValleyWag) |
| AdReady |
Up to 10 |
11/11/2008 |
Self-serve ad platform trims headcount by up to 25 percent "to extend its cash runway until 2010." (TechFlash) |
| Channel 4 |
22 |
11/11/2008 |
UK broadcaster cuts 15 percent of "commercial team," including strategic sales, sponsorship and new media staffers. (Brand Republic) |
| Hearst Digital |
4 |
11/11/2008 |
New media sales team reduced from 16 to 12 (Brand Republic) |
| Time Inc. |
92 |
11/10/2008 |
Consumer marketing and sales reorg impact digital unit. (PaidContent) |
| Solid Cactus |
40 |
11/08/2008 |
Pennsylvania-based Web design and e-commerce firm lays off in call center and technology units, still employs 150.(
Times Leader) |
| LinkedIn |
36 |
11/05/2008 |
Ten percent workforce reduction undertaken to focus on revenue generating businesses. (Reuters) |
| Spot Runner |
115 |
11/04/2008 |
"Just under 30 percent" are let go as company prepares to sell local search biz. (ClickZ) |
| Oodle |
10 |
11/2/2008 |
Classifieds firm says layoffs were part of an overall re-org. (ClickZ) |
| Efficient Frontier |
At least 6 |
10/30/2008 |
Layoffs in account services and sales were result of "overhiring," says source. (ClickZ) |
| Razorfish |
40 |
10/30/2008 |
Microsoft-owned agency cites financial sector woes. Meanwhile acquires Spanish digital agency Wysiwyg. (ClickZ) |
| Portfolio.com |
Up to 20 |
10/30/2008 |
Staff at Condé Nast-owned site cut to single-digits as publisher scales back Portfolio and Men's Vogue titles. (MediaMemo) |
| Curiosity Group |
8 |
10/30/2008 |
Digital creative firm plans to rehire some as freelancers. "That model...is just more sustainable for us right now. (ClickZ) |
| Inform Technologies |
20 |
10/30/2008 |
Contextual analysis firm cuts 40 percent of staff. (ClickZ) |
| Digital Influence Group |
2 |
10/28/2008 |
Waltham MA-based social marketing agency downsizes slightly along with sister PR agency Racepoint Group. (Mass High Tech) |
| Revision3 |
10 |
10/27/2008 |
Digital video production firm cancels three shows. (Kevin Rose) |
| WildTangent |
20 |
10/23/2008 |
Redmond gaming company closes game development studio and lays off 20 percent. (TechFlash) |
| IMC2 |
About 70 |
10/23/2008 |
Dallas digital agency IMC2 lays off 17 percent. (ClickZ) |
| Break.com |
11 |
10/23/2008 |
No word on how many in sales were affected. (CNET) |
| Experian Interactive/ LowerMyBills |
3 senior execs |
10/22/2008 |
Exec layoffs include Stephen Semprevivo, president of Experian Interactive Media, LowerMyBills, and ClassesUSA. (TechNews.LA) |
| Permission TV |
6 |
10/22/2008 |
White label video platform, which partnered with Agency.com last year, cut jobs in operations, sales and marketing (NewTeeVee). |
| Mania TV |
20 |
10/22/2008 |
Video site had done ad deals with Jeep and others. Programming cuts applied mostly to experimental, unsponsored shows. (NewTeeVee) |
| Imeem |
Up to 20 |
10/22/2008 |
Ad-supported music and video site is reducing headcount by 25 percent and putting itself on the block, according to PaidContent. |
| Direct Marketing Association |
18 to 21 |
10/21/2008 |
Several high-level employees among those laid off as group faces heavy competition in digital trade shows. (Direct) |
| Yahoo |
Unknown (minimum 10 percent of global staff) |
10/21/2008 |
Planned layoffs come as Yahoo's Q3 earnings show global weakness in display. No word yet on how many will be let go, but ClickZ guesstimates the number at 1,400. |
| Heavy.com |
20 (total approx. 45 since June) |
10/17/2008 |
Fourteen percent staff reduction was attributed to downturn but Heavy insists it's "strongly positioned for any dip in the advertising market." (SAI) |
| Zillow.com |
25 percent (number not specified) |
10/17/2008 |
Memo calls decision "incredibly painful" but necessary to "securely batten down the hatches as we sail into a major economic storm." (TechCrunch) |
| AdBrite |
40 |
10/16/2008 |
Departing figures included two senior execs: VP Marketing Paul Levine and VP Finance Bob Feller. Cuts represented 40 percent of 100-person workforce. (TechCrunch) |
| eBay |
1,000 |
10/6/2008 |
On top of the staff cuts, which slashed 10 percent of the workforce, eBay said it would end contracts with hundreds of temps. |
| Gawker |
19 |
10/3/2008 |
Nick Denton cuts 14 percent of editorial staff and tells employees, "2009 is obviously going to be exceptionally difficult." |
| SpotRunner |
50 |
9/9/2008 |
Cuts were part of a company-wide realignment intended to emphasize three areas: national marketing services, local marketing services, and technology. (ClickZ) |
| TripHub |
5 |
8/27/2008 |
An e-mail to staff noted, "...while we continued to make good progress, we didn't turn the corner before exhausting our resources," the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported. |
| Heavy.com |
25 |
6/6/2008 |
Move to "make the company more efficient and profitable" came as Heavy spun off video ad unit. |
| Yahoo |
1,000 |
1/29/2008 |
"Streamlining" by new CEO Jerry Yang came amid investor questions about the company's financial performance and its rebuff of Microsoft's buy-out offer. |
|