People Inc. Lays Off 195 Employees, About 6% of Its Workforce

People Inc., the largest magazine and digital publisher in the United States, is laying off 195 employees, or about 6% of its workforce. Variety reported the cuts on Thursday, October 29, citing a memo from CEO Neil Vogel to staff.

The company, owned by IAC and formerly known as Dotdash Meredith, publishes brands including People, Better Homes and Gardens, Food and Wine, Travel and Leisure and Investopedia. According to the memo, most of the reductions fall on teams that work in print and in legacy web operations.

What the Memo Says

Vogel framed the cuts as part of a shift in where the business is going, not as a pullback. The memo noted that the company has hired 320 people so far in 2026 and said People Inc. plans to invest more in 2027. Staff were told the company would hold an all hands meeting after it reports third quarter earnings.

That combination is becoming familiar in media. A company can be hiring and laying off at the same time, moving money and people from shrinking lines of business into growing ones.

The Numbers Behind the Decision

The latest reported quarter explains the pressure. In the second quarter, People Inc. revenue fell 2% to $416.7 million. Digital revenue rose 6% to $289.9 million, while print revenue dropped 16% to $132.6 million.

In plain terms, the digital side is growing, but not fast enough to cover the speed at which print is shrinking. When one part of a business falls by double digits, leaders usually respond by cutting costs in that part and putting new spending where growth is.

What It Means for Workers

For the 195 people affected, the strategy language does not change the reality of losing a job. For employees who stay, layoffs that target specific teams send a clear message about which skills the company values most right now.

Professionals in any industry can take a few practical steps when their sector is changing:

Know where your revenue comes from. Workers who understand which products and channels make money for their employer can see change coming earlier.

Build skills that move with the business. In publishing, that means audience data, video, commerce and digital production. Every field has its own version.

Keep your network active before you need it. Former colleagues, industry groups and recruiters are far easier to reach when the relationship already exists.

Read company results. Public earnings reports and investor calls often signal priorities months before an internal announcement.

Lessons for Leaders

The announcement also shows how quickly the shape of a familiar industry can change. Print magazines once carried the entire business. Today the growth at People Inc. comes from digital audiences, and the company is reorganizing its workforce around that fact. Leaders in other sectors facing similar shifts can expect the same hard choices about which teams to grow and which to shrink.

For managers, the People Inc. announcement is also a case study in how to communicate hard news. Telling staff why the cuts are happening, which areas are affected and what the company plans next can reduce rumors and fear among the people who remain.

Good practice during a reduction includes informing affected employees directly and privately, offering clear details on severance and benefits, and giving remaining teams a chance to ask questions. Holding an open meeting, as People Inc. plans to do, is one way to keep trust from eroding.

Layoffs are never painless, but how they are handled shapes a company's culture long after the announcement. The businesses that handle change well tend to be the ones that are honest about the numbers and respectful toward the people affected.

Source: Variety, reporting by Todd Spangler. Follow Professional Magazine for more on careers, leadership and the business of work.