The New York Times said Monday it was offering buyouts to 30 newsroom managers and other journalists as part of an ongoing cost-cutting drive in a difficult environment for the newspaper industry. "There is no getting around the hard news that the size of the newsroom staff must be reduced," executive editor Jill Abramson said in a letter to staff, which was cited in the newspaper.

The Times reported that the primary goal of the program is to trim managers and other non-union employees, but will also offer some reporters and editors in the newsroom a chance to volunteer for buyouts. The prestigious US daily has been cutting jobs in recent years even as it expands its online operations, and now has a newsroom roughly the same size as in 2003, about 1,150 people.

Employees will be given until January 24 to decide on accepting a severance package, according to the memo, which also stated: "I hope the needed savings can be achieved through voluntary buyouts but if not, I will be forced to go to layoffs among the excluded staff."

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012