61 Saltwire Employees Lose Their Jobs In Nova Scotia
HALIFAX – Employees at Saltwire received some sad news today, as the newspaper chain will be laying off 109 people permanently across Atlantic Canada, 61 of which are from Nova Scotia. The company said roughly half will be laid off immediately, while the other half will be gone at a later date.
Back in March, Saltwire announced that, due to Covid-19, 40 percent of its workforce would be temporarily laid off. All of the people affected by today’s announcement were previously part of the temporary layoffs.
“The staff notified today have contributed to SaltWire’s mission to provoke thought and action for the betterment of our communities in innumerable ways and they will be greatly missed,” COO Ian Scott was quoted as saying in a news story on the company’s website.
Scott went on to say the Covid-19 pandemic has caused advertising revenue to plunge, and the company isn’t expecting to see that change any time soon.
“Like hundreds of media outlets in North America, SaltWire is feeling the impact of the pandemic. As businesses closed and customers stayed home, advertising plummeted. The loss has cost the company millions in revenue to date without expected improvement in the coming months,” said Scott.
The story also said the Saltwire will still provide health benefits for the affected workers.