1. Sioux Falls, S.D.
Unemployment rate: 2.4 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Argus Leader has laid off 2 people. The paper is owned by Gannett, which will be making additional in December; I’m not sure if the Argus Leader will be making additional cuts then.

2. Rapid City, S.D.
Unemployment rate: 2.5 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Rapid City Journal

3. Idaho Falls, Idaho
Unemployment rate: 2.5 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Post Register

4. Bismarck, N.D.
Unemployment rate: 2.6 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Bismark Tribune

5. Houma, La.
Unemployment rate: 2.7 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at Houma Today

6. Morgantown, W.Va.
Unemployment rate: 2.8 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at The Dominion Post

7. Logan, Utah
Unemployment rate: 2.8 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Herald Journal

8. Fargo, N.D.
Unemployment rate: 2.9 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Forum

9. Casper, Wyo.
Unemployment rate: 2.9 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Casper Star-Tribune laid off 4 employees in September.

10. Billings, Mont.
Unemployment rate: 3.0 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Billings Gazette laid off 9 employees in September.

11. Ames, Iowa
Unemployment rate: 3.1 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Ames Tribune

12. Lafayette, La.
Unemployment rate: 3.1 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette and The Daily World in Opelousas laid off 6 employees.

13. Midland, Texas
Unemployment rate: 3.1 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Midland Reporter-Telegram

14. Iowa City, Iowa
Unemployment rate: 3.2 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Iowa City Press-Citizen laid off 4 employees in August. The paper is owned by Gannett, which will be making additional in December; I’m not sure if the Press-Citizen will be making additional cuts then.

15. Lincoln, Neb.
Unemployment rate: 3.3 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Lincoln Journal Star laid off 16 employees in July.

16. Portsmouth, N.H.
Unemployment rate: 3.3 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Portsmouth Herald

17. Great Falls, Mont.
Unemployment rate: 3.4 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Great Falls Tribune

18. Charlestown, W.Va.
Unemployment rate: 3.4 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No newspaper in Charlestown. No layoffs reported at the nearby Eagle Tribune in Claremont, N.H.

19. Des Moines, Iowa
Unemployment rate: 3.5 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Des Moines Register laid off 15 people and cut 11 empty positions in August. The paper is owned by Gannett, which will be making additional in December; I’m not sure if the Register will be making additional cuts then.

20. Missoula, Mont.
Unemployment rate: 3.5 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Missoulian laid off 7 people in August.

21. Salt Lake City, Utah
Unemployment rate: 3.5 percent
Newspaper layoffs: The Deseret News laid off 34 people in June. No layoffs reported at the Salt Lake Tribune.

22. Provo, Utah
Unemployment rate: 3.6 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Daily Herald

23. Odessa, Texas
Unemployment rate: 3.7 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Odessa American

24. Pocatello, Idaho
Unemployment rate: 3.7 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Idaho State Journal

25. Sioux City, Iowa
Unemployment rate: 3.7 percent
Newspaper layoffs: No layoffs reported at the Sioux City Journal

Finally, on Friday, Hall released an “update” memo saying jobs had been cut, and Greenberg returned a call to Editor & Publisher to say the same thing, and hinted that layoffs would also be coming to other departments. Greenberg said newspaper management planned to make an announcement at the end of the month after all cuts had been made. But the Sentinel still hasn’t publicized the 45 human resources, marketing and technology jobs that were eliminated in March.

And no one is saying anything about layoffs being made at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel either.

Sun-Sentinel employees were told about 20 percent of the newsroom will be laid off, but newspaper leaders have not released information to the public.

On Friday, the first two newsroom employees — reporters a reporter and investigations editor Joe Demma who were starting vacations today — were told they were being laid off. The rest of the layoffs will be made this week. Also on Friday, 11 pressmen were laid off.

This Tribune Co. trend is unacceptable. Just as they hold community leaders accountable for their actions, newspaper leaders must be held accountable. You can help: Send me your tips about layoffs and buyouts. (Anonymity guaranteed for anyone who fears retribution.)

Related stories

• More than 6,400 newspaper jobs have already been eliminated this year. That’s at least 32 jobs per day. There are so many black “unknown” markers on the map because more than 50 newspapers never announced layoffs, or failed to say how many people were being laid off or had accepted buyouts.
• Laid-off designer wants to help you get a job
• Editors in study say shrinking newsrooms damages quality of journalism or spun a different way: U.S. newspaper editors still optimistic, survey says

Updated July 21 with the name of the laid-off Sun-Sentinel editor.

When did you realize you were on a sinking ship?

Looking back, I think it was around 2002. I was a news page designer at The Times of Northwest Indiana and the paper’s higher-ups announced that the folks who came by each week to water and care for the plants would not be coming back. The paper has a large, sun-filled atrium — it used to be full of plants. Many of them ended up going home with employees, and were replaced by silk versions. (Those fake green plants did come in handy for a project a few years later, though.)

But at the time I remember thinking, “We can’t afford to water the plants?”

Since then, of course, I’ve learned that there are a lot of things we can’t afford. (And sometimes I’m surprised by the things that company leaders, somehow, convince themselves they can afford.)

Now newspapers are laying off employees by the dozens — even the hundreds. Journalists at the San Jose Mercury News — which has already taken a couple of big hits from buyouts and layoffs — were callously told today that nine more of them would be laid off. They were given 24 hours to volunteer, or watch as nine of their co-workers were escorted from the building Friday.

The current rate of inflation is 4.18 percent; I know better than to expect a 4 percent raise this year. But the Boston Globe has proposed a 10 percent pay cut to its employees.

There comes a point when you must decide to jump or stay on the ship. Would you volunteer volunteer for a buyout? What about a layoff? Or a 10 percent cut in salary? Take an “extra” unpaid day off each month?

When did you realize you were on a sinking ship? When did you grab a life jacket? When do you jump?

The Pendleton, pictured above, sank in 1952.

The San Jose Mercury News announced on Wednesday afternoon that they will be laying off nine employees. Newsroom leaders said they are looking for volunteers by 5 p.m. Thursday, and employees will be laid off on Friday.

Paper Cuts was updated with news of nearly 500 layoffs/buyouts today. Ugh.

The top U.S. circulation gainers:

The Times of Northwest Indiana, Munster, Ind.: 3.01 percent
Layoff/buyouts: None

The Cincinnati Enquirer: 2.93 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 30 announced in October 2007

Trenton (N.J.) Times: 2.91 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

The Daily Herald, Everett, Wash.: 2.37 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Ventura (Calif.) County Star: 1.76 percent
Layoffs/buyouts:

San Jose Mercury News: 1.69 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 40 announced on June 19, 2007; 50 announced on Feb. 14, 2008

Greensburg (Pa.) Tribune-Review: 1.68 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.: 1.40 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

The Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah: 1.21 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register: 1.21 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: 1.21 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

U.S. newspapers with more than 50,000 paid circulation
Percent gain compares March 31, 2007, and March 31, 2008
Layoff/buyout information tracked from June 2007-March 31, 2008

Top 25 Sunday newspapers:

The New York Times: -9.26 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 12 announced in November 2007; 100 announced in February 2008

Los Angeles Times: -6.06 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 100 to 150 announced in February 2008

Chicago Tribune: -4.46 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 120 announced in August 2007; 100 announced in February 2008

The Washington Post: -4.39 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Daily News, New York: -9.20 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Houston Chronicle: -6.59 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 80 announced in October 2007

The Philadelphia Inquirer: -6.28 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 68 announced in February 2008

Detroit Free Press: -5.18 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: Up to 100 announced in October 2007

Denver Post/Rocky Mountain News: -14.79%
Layoffs/buyouts: 21 announced in June 2007 at the Post

Star Tribune, Minneapolis: -7.02 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 145 announced in June 2007; 58 announced in February 2008

Boston Globe: -6.46 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 60 announced in February 2008

The Dallas Morning News: -7.61 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

The Arizona Republic -4.84 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Newark Star-Ledger: -12.29 percent
Layoffs/buuyouts: Unknown number of cuts announced in January 2008 and March 2008

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: -5.07 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Newsday: -4.83 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 120 announced in February 2008

St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times: -0.44 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Cleveland Plain Dealer: -3.25 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

San Francisco Chronicle: -3.06 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 100 announced in July 2007

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: 1.67 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 60 announced in August 2007; 31 announced in March 2008

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Times: -3.40 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 71 announced at the Times in December 2007; 86 announced at the Times in February 2008

New York Post: -8.63 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: -3.94 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: None

The Sun, Baltimore: -1.22 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 45 announced in June 2007; 11 announced in September 2007; 45 announced in February 2008

The Oregonian: -3.70 percent
Layoffs/buyouts: 32 in August 2007

Percent gain compares March 31, 2007, and March 31, 2008
Layoff/buyout information tracked from June 2007-March 31, 2008