CHICAGO, Dec. 4  -- The Chicago Tribune continued staff reductions this week in the wake of declining revenues, an in-house memo said.

"We must respond quickly to declining revenues and prepare for the future," Editor Gerry Kern wrote in the memo, Crain's Chicago Business reported.

"That means we must evaluate the size of the staff, its skills and organization in order to match the business and our goals," the memo said.

More than a dozen newsroom employees were told their jobs would be eliminated by the end of the week, Crain's reported.

Further cuts are expected within a month, the report said.

The cuts follow earlier staff reductions this year of about 180 Tribune employees. The company has also cut staff at its other newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Baltimore Sun.

"Reductions like these are always painful," Kern wrote. "We thank departing colleagues for their contributions to the success of the Chicago Tribune over their careers. We wish them only the best in the future." (UPI)