Document: Gannett employment fell 10% last year

[Workforce size: Dec. 31 in each of the past 15 years]

Reflecting a wave of layoffs and other jobs cuts, GCI employed 41,500 workers at the end of 2008 -- down 10% from 46,100 at the end of 2007, and the biggest annual drop in the past 15 years, according to the company's annual Form 10-K, filed earlier today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

In fact, total employment would have fallen much more, but for Gannett's purchase last September of majority control of jobs site CareerBuilder, which had about 2,000 workers at the end of 2008. GCI did not count CareerBuilder employees a year ago. Take them out of the mix, and Gannett's total workforce actually fell more than 14% from 2007.

Also new in the 2008 10-K: Gannett is now breaking out employment in the digital division: about 2,500 at the end of last year; GCI did not provide a comparable figure a year ago.

Newsquest paces losses
Among operating units, U.K. newspaper division Newsquest reported the biggest employment loss.

U.S. newspapers
2007: 32,800 employees
2008: 29,200
Change: down 11%

Newsquest
2007: 8,100
2008: 6,600
Change: down 18.5%

Broadcasting
2007: 3,000
2008: 2,700
Change: down 10%

Digital
2007: NA
2008: 2,500

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