DMA Axes 10% of Staff

New York–The Direct Marketing Association has enacted across-the-board cuts, eliminating 10% of its staff.

Nineteen employees learned they were being laid off Tuesday and Wednesday. About one staffer from every department lost their jobs.

They ranged from junior to director level, according to Christina Duffney, spokesperson for the DMA. “If a position was eliminated, that was the reason they were laid off, other than that it was related to seniority,” Duffney said.

Names and titles of those who lost their jobs were not released.

The Association’s last layoff was in May when it let go 17 employees from the seminar division. At that time, it outsourced conference registration, and data input functions. The reason for the May layoffs was a 30% to 40% drop in conference attendance, according to DMA President H. Robert Wientzen.

The reasons for the recent cutbacks have to do with the general downturn in the economy, Duffney said.

The DMA currently employees 180 people.