Following a trend that has rippled through the ranks of major record labels as of late, Geffen and Interscope, two large subsidies of the Universal Music Group, laid off about 15 employees yesterday from varying departments, including veteran publicists Jim Merlis and Jycorri Robinson, Billboard has confirmed. The cuts come after a tumultuous several weeks for all of the major labels, a time span that also saw Sony BMG and Island Def Jam clean house. Though jarring, the recent shakeups are hardly unexpected. Talk amongst industry pundits had been circulating for weeks prior to the layoffs predicting a "Black Monday" in the offing for major labels because of, among other factors, sagging record sales. There have even been rumors that some larger imprints such as Geffen might close their doors, but, for now, that seems unlikely. No phone calls to Geffen or Universal Music Group were returned by press time. www.geffen.com www.interscope.com
