The Met’s museum store compresses

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has announced plans to pare 74 jobs out of its merchandising work force, effective immediately, as part of the ongoing, and challenging, effort to maintain budgetary equilibrium in face of economic pressures. This new move further decimates the once-thriving Met museum store business. Eight satellite Met museum stores around the country have been closed and 53 positions already eliminated in recent months. At the same time, the museum also anticipates the additional need to reduce the rest of its full- and part-time work force by approximately 10% before the beginning of its next fiscal year on July 1. Among many recent cost-saving efforts, the Met previously instituted a hiring freeze and eliminated merit salary increases for the next fiscal year.