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BNET's Ad Agency Layoff Counter: 48,832 Jobs Lost

The BNET Ad Agency layoff counter: Every time we hear about job losses at an ad business, we'll update the count. Please email us using the link here if you hear of layoffs. (And yes, I know it doesn't look like it works, but it does.)

At least 163,400 advertising jobs have been lost since the beginning of the recession. That total is based on a Bureau of Labor Statistics report as summarized by Ad Age. The headline total in this article includes only layoffs at ad agencies and other ad-oriented employers. (It does not include magazines, for instance.)

A partial list of publicly reported layoffs at agencies follows:

  • Holding company totals
  • WPP - up to 14,000
  • Interpublic - 5,500
  • Omnicom - 5,000
  • Publicis - 2,900
  • The Nielsen Co. - 1,600
  • MDC Partners - 1,300
  • Aegis - 900
  • Agency totals
  • BBDO Detroit - 690
  • Lamar Advertising - 400
  • The Ogilvy Group North America - 240
  • Campbell-Ewald - 50-200
  • BBDO's North American agencies - 189
  • Valassis Communications - 165
  • McCann Erickson SF - 160
  • Razorfish -116
  • Spot Runner - 115
  • Doner - 100
  • The Richards Group - 100
  • Vertis Communications - 91
  • Arnold Worldwide - 90
  • Enfatico - 92
  • Starcom MediaVest Chicago - 80
  • TBWA/Chiat/Day - 75
  • Leo Burnett - 86
  • McCann New York - 76
  • Hill Holliday Connors Cosmopulos - about 74*
  • Ogilvy Group UK (includes PR) - 71
  • Razorfish - 70
  • IMC2 - 70
  • Digitas - 70
  • DentsuNext - 65
  • Comcast ad sales - 64
  • Deutsch LA - 62
  • Crispin Porter + Bogusky - 80
  • MacLaren McCann Canada - 53
  • JWT Chicago - 50
  • Euro RSCG NY - 50
  • Advertising.com - >50
  • Tribal DDB Dallas - 40-50
  • Deutsch/Lowe - 46
  • MPG - 46
  • GSD&M - 44
  • Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London - 40
  • McClain Finlon, Denver - 40
  • Massive (Microsoft) - 37
  • TM - 35
  • Barkley, Kansas City - 30
  • BBDO Atlanta - 30
  • iCrossing - 30
  • DDB LA - 30
  • Mullen - 70
  • Cliff Freeman - ~25, agency closed
  • Team One - 25
  • BBDO Detroit - 25
  • McCaffery Gottlieb Lane, New York - 23 (bankrupt)
  • PHD Atlanta - 23
  • Modernista! - 23
  • DMA 18 -21
  • Fallon London - 20
  • BBDO New York - 20
  • R/GA - 20
  • DDB Chicago - 20
  • Saatchi & Saatchi LA - 20
  • Kolar Advertising & Marketing - 19
  • Energy BBDO - 19
  • Fallon - 18
  • Grey London - 18
  • WongDoody - 17
  • McCann Erickson Brisbane - 16 (office closed)
  • Doner in Newport Beach - 15
  • Adweek magazines - 15
  • Clemenger BBDO - 13
  • Rapp New York - 13
  • Modernista Amsterdam - 12
  • BBH New York - 12
  • MRM Worldwide - 12
  • M&C Saatchi Sydney - 11
  • Zeta Interactive - 10
  • Wunderman - 10
  • Droga5/Honeyshed - 10
  • DDB - 10
  • Lowe New York -- 10
  • Publicis West - 8-10
  • Ad Age - about 10
  • Zig, Toronto -10
  • Curiosity Group - 8
  • Cutwater - 8
  • Attik - 7
  • PHD Detroit - 7
  • Rapp Chicago - 6
  • Energy BBDO/Chicago - 3 or 4
  • McGarryBowen - "some"
  • Bernstein Rein - ?
  • Y&R Detroit - "some"
  • T3 - "some"
  • Mobium Creative Group - "some"
  • Rockett, Burkhead & Winslow - bankrutpcy, entire staff gone
  • TAS Communications UK - bankruptcy, entire staff gone
  • Smith Winchester - closed
  • Toy, New York - closed
  • The Media Counsel, New Zealand - closed
* 10 at the agency in Boston, and 50 jobs axed at its New York studio.
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