The Albany Times Union, based in New York State, will cut up to 30 staff members, the Times Union reported Tuesday.

The newspaper Monday offered voluntary buyout packages to employees in every department, but said it would consider layoffs if too few people accept the offer.

Newspapers, whose revenues depend mostly on advertising, are cyclical businesses particularly exposed to economic downturns, according to the article posted by MediaInfoCenter.

This is not the first time the Times Union has offered buyouts. In 2001, for example, it bought out at least 15 employees.

Publisher Mark Aldam, in a letter to employees Monday, stated that "a weakened national and regional economy” caused the move. He also referenced economic problems that have roiled the newspaper industry recently, leading to staff cuts at many daily newspapers.

"Increasingly, we find ourselves to be a company in transition: one that is growing robustly on some fronts, while experiencing contraction on others. Despite the disruptive economic environment, we plan to accelerate our transition from a traditional newspaper to a multimedia company," Aldam said, according to the Times Union.

According to Tim O'Brien, president of the Newspaper Guild of Albany/Communications Workers of America, which represents about 260 out of about 500 Times Union's workers, the union leadership agreed to present the buyout package to its members in order to avoid layoffs.

"It does not mean we agree the staff size needs to be cut." O'Brien said the union has scheduled a vote on Thursday, the Times Union reported.