Charlotte, N.C.
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Effective: Jan. 31, 2011

Twenty employees were laid off, including five in the newsroom. Remaining salaried employees must take a weeklong unpaid furlough. In a meeting with employees, Publisher Ann Caulkins said the company was “living quarter by quarter with our budgets.” In its story about the layoffs, the Observer reports the company has laid off “about 530″ full-time employees (150 from the newsroom) in “the last few years.”
Source: Charlotte Observer via Paper Cuts tips

Sacramento, Calif.
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Effective: Jan. 31, 2011

Thirty-two employees were laid off, including nine newsroom employees. Two full-time positions also were reduced to part-time. The Bee said this round of layoffs brings its three-year total to about 360 jobs; the paper has had six rounds of job cuts in that time.
Source: Sacramento Business Journal

Fort Worth, Texas
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Effective: Feb. 9, 2011

Twenty-two employees were laid off. “Although we’ve seen improvements in revenue, we’re still facing recessionary challenges,” said Publisher Gary Wortel, echoing statements made at other McClatchy papers. “With an economic recovery that is slower than expected, we need to take additional steps to reduce costs.”
Sources: Star-Telegram and Dallas Observer

Worcester, Mass.
Owner: The New York Times Co.
Effective: April 2011

Home delivery was outsourced to Publishers Circulation Fulfillment Inc. of Maryland. Seventeen full-time and 18 part-time employees were laid off. In a memo emailed to employees, Publisher Bruce Gaultney said the decision to outsource delivery was made based on cost savings,
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette via Paper Cuts tip

Kansas City, Mo.
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Announced: Jan. 31, 2011

Twenty employees were laid off; another 20 open positions were eliminated.
Source: Paper Cuts tip and The Kansas City Star

St. Louis, Mo.
Owner: Dan Rositano
Effective: Jan. 24, 2011

The 13-month-old online newspaper has closed. The original St. Louis Globe-Democrat closed in 1986. In May 2010, three news reporters were laid off. In July 2010, the six members of the sports department, including the editor, resigned, saying they had not been paid.
Source: Riverfront Times

Raleigh, N.C.
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Effective: Jan. 18, 2011

A memo from Publisher Orage Quarles III said 20 positions would be cut through buyouts and layoffs. “Although the overall economy is showing faint signs of improvement, our revenue numbers for December came in well below our expectations. And revenues continue to be down,” Quarles wrote in the memo. “As a result, we had to look for additional expense reductions.” The News & Observer laid off 21 employees almost exactly a year before.
Source: American Independent via Paper Cuts tip

Correction: Publisher Orage Quarles III’s name was misspelled in a previous version of this post. It has been corrected. (06.24.11)

Oklahoma City
Owner: Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Effective: Jan. 19, 2011

Forty-six employees were laid off. “We’re no different from businesses in other industries that have had to make changes in a difficult economic climate,” president and publisher David Thompson said in an Oklahoman news story. Blogger Tanner Herriott, an Oklahoman employee, reported that many of those laid off were reporters; one employee in the video department also was laid off. Sports Journalist forum users report five sports employees were laid off.
Source: The Oklahoman via Paper Cuts tip; Tanner Herriott; and Sports Journalists

Somerset, N.J.; Morris, N.J.; Middlesex, N.J.
Owner: Gannett Co. Inc.
Effective: Feb. 4, 2011

Sources say “some 50 reporters” were laid off — half of the reporting staff at the three papers.
Source: Politicker NJ

Update: The three papers are being reorganized, and the bulk of their local news stories will be produced at the Asbury Park press. There were 99 employees; they were forced to apply for the 53 remaining editor, reporter, photographer and other newsroom positions. “No severance,” a Gannett Blog tipster reported. “Just some ‘transitional pay program.’ Everyone’s gone by Feb. 4; not even a month’s notice.” (06.26.11)
Source: Gannett Blog

The most remarkable thing about 2010 was the great decrease in the number of layoffs: There were more than 14,000 reported layoffs in 2008 and 2009, and not even 3,000 reported layoffs in 2010.

The 2010 total now stands at 2,828 layoffs. That total includes all newspaper jobs — not just reporters and editors. And it is far from complete: 50 posts are marked as “unknown” — layoffs have been reported, either publicly or via private tips. I will continue to try to update those posts (and add any other 2010, 2009 or 2008 layoffs I have missed) as information becomes available.

The 2010 map includes a “by the numbers” look at the year. (Complete 2009, 2008 and partial 2007 coverage also is available.)

As I said, there were about 11,000 fewer layoffs in 2010 compared to 2009. That’s great news for newspaper employees. But for me, Paper Cuts became less of an everyday task and more of a once-a-week (or two) hassle. I believe newspaper layoffs should be tracked — there are many layoffs reported on this blog and nowhere else. But I need a break; Paper Cuts is taking a hiatus. I do not plan to make this a permanent leave of absence, but I make no guarantee on when or if it will return. Thank you for all of the tips and help over the past three years.

I will continue to share newspaper layoff and industry information on Twitter (@newscuts) and Facebook. Send memos, links or personal accounts at newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com, or leave a comment here. If you are worried about retaliation from your employer, do not post a comment or send that e-mail from work. The source of all tips will remain anonymous for that reason.

Here’s to a great 2011.
Erica