NPR Lays Off 10 Percent of Workforce and Cancels 4 Podcasts Back in February, there were reports that National Public Radio was going to be cutting its workforce due to a drop in ad revenue. Now that time has come. NPR itself confirmed Thursday that it had cut 10% of its workforce on Thursday, impacting roughly 100 employees, adding that it tends to roll back the workforce from 1,200 to an estimated 1,050 employees, the “largest reduction in staff since the 2008 recession.” “We literally are fighting to secure the future of NPR at this very moment by restructuring our cost structure. It’s that important. It’s existential,” NPR chief executive John Lansing told NPR’s media correspondent David Folkenflik. The liberal outlet also halted several podcasts: “Invisibilia,” “Louder Than a Riot,” “Rough Translation” and “Everyone & Their Mom.” None of its radio shows were canceled. The cuts come after NPR assessed that ad revenue was set to drop $30 million in 2023.
