Dive Brief:
- Pearson cut 68 jobs in its U.S. higher education business as it continues to a shift to digital.
- A spokesperson confirmed that the jobs were "eliminated due to restructuring decisions" as it continues its accelerated push into digital learning, education services, and emerging markets.
- The shift has resulted in more than 3,300 Pearson employees leaving the company during the last year.
Dive Insight:
Pearson, like other education publishing giants, is finding itself in a position where it must shift its focus to remain relevant in an increasingly digital world. The days when students had no other option but to pay as much as $300 for a print textbook are quickly becoming the past due to cheaper options accessible via laptops, tablets, and even smartphones. It should come as no surprise that such a seismic shift would result in some employees losing their jobs. Though the exact positions cut aren't mentioned in the article, one would surmise that many of these positions were simply no longer needed in the oncoming post-print model.