Dotdash Meredith will lay off 274 people, or 7% of its total workforce, in response to the current economic climate and the challenges facing the advertising industry, the company announced today.

Dotdash Meredith CEO Neil Vogel announced the layoffs in an email to employees that was provided by the company to the Business Record.

In the email, Vogel said one-on-one meetings have been scheduled for this morning with those employees who will be affected. He said those workers will receive severance, options for continuing health insurance, and transition support, including outplacement services.

New York-based InterActive Corp. Dotdash acquired Meredith for $2.7 billion in 2021, and Vogel said Dotdash Meredith has “grown aggressively” in recent years as it integrated the two companies.

“With the difficult market environment and economic uncertainty that lie ahead, we must prioritize our biggest opportunities and make sure we have the proper cost structure in place to pursue them,” Vogel said in the email, which was sent to employees this morning. “Today’s actions provide for the most effective and focused use of our resources and put us in a position of strength as we look toward the future.”

Dotdash Meredith has nearly 3,900 employees nationally, including 650 in Des Moines. The layoffs will also affect 7% of the local workforce, the company said. The specific number of people affected in Des Moines was not released.

The majority of those affected by the layoffs are located in the company’s New York City office. Other layoffs will occur in Birmingham, Ala., Los Angeles and Vermont, the company said.

Dotdash Meredith publishes titles such as People, Travel + Leisure, Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Food & Wine, All Recipes, Magnolia and Southern Living. Its website says it is the largest digital and print publisher in the country.

Vogel said in today’s email that he remains confident in the future of Dotdash Meredith, and has scheduled an “all-hands” meeting on Monday to discuss the path forward.

“These decisions are difficult, and it is hard to see friends and colleagues depart,” Vogel said in the email. “We are grateful to those leaving the company, whose effort and talent have been significant contributors to our business.” 

The layoffs come nearly two months after Dotdash Meredith announced it would sell its north building at 1615 Locust St. in Des Moines to MidAmerican Energy Co. and consolidate its workforce in the historic south building to allow for better workplace collaboration within the company’s hybrid work environment. That deal is expected to close later this Spring.

In making that announcement, Vogel said the company remains “committed as ever to Des Moines.”