AFP - The Associated Press said Thursday that 90 news department staffers were laid off this week in a move that helped the US news agency reach its cost-cutting target.

AP president and chief executive Tom Curley outlined plans a year ago to reduce global payroll costs by 10 percent by the end of 2009.

Spokesman Paul Colford said the AP had reached its goal through the job cuts this week, earlier reductions in other departments, a voluntary retirement program earlier this year, a continuing hiring freeze and attrition.

About 100 AP employees accepted buyouts earlier this year.

Colford did not provide any details about the latest cuts but the News Media Guild, which covers some 1,300 AP editorial and technology unit staffers in the United States, said they included managers, reporters, editors, photographers, and editorial assistants.

The AP, a cooperative which is owned by 1,500 daily US newspapers, employed around 4,000 people before this week's layoffs, including some 3,000 editorial staff.

As US newspapers grapple with declining circulation, a loss of readership to free online media, and a steep drop in print advertising revenue the AP has been under pressure from some of its members to cut its rates.

The AP offered 30 million dollars in rate reductions to member newspapers in 2009 and plans 35 million dollars in rate reductions in 2010.

The Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and other newspapers owned by the Tribune Co. cut back on use of the AP for a week this month to test whether they can do without content from the US news agency.

The Tribune Co. has been looking for ways to cut costs and in October 2008 it gave the AP the required two-year notice that it might drop the service.

The AP reported this month that as of April some 180 newspapers -- 14 percent of its US newspaper membership -- had threatened to leave.