Meredith Corp. will lay off 200 workers as it continues to streamline operations after its $2.8 billion purchase of Time Inc.

Most of the 200 job reductions were in the New York area, spokesman Art Slusark said. Another 15 jobs were cut in Des Moines and 25 in Birmingham, Alabama. Those employees will receive severance pay.

This is the latest round of job cuts as Meredith seeks to cash in on a projected $400 million to $500 million in savings after its January 2018 merger with Time Inc.

That purchase, largely motivated by a desire to increase scale, propelled the Des Moines-based publishing company to the front of the publishing pack. It now boasts an audience of some 200 million people.

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To date, Meredith has announced the elimination of about 1,800 jobs, and about 800 employees have left the company, Slusark said.

"We believe these actions best position Meredith for continued success," Meredith President and CEO Tom Harty said in a statement.

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On Wednesday, Meredith announced it would merge two cooking titles: Cooking Light and EatingWell.

Combining those publications under the EatingWell banner will create the largest subscription magazine in the epicurean category, Meredith officials said. The merged magazine will print 10 times per year and will boast a circulation base of 1.775 million readers.

"Combining the powerful EatingWell and Cooking Light magazines will strengthen our editorial product while providing advertisers with access to this passionate group of consumers seeking a healthier lifestyle," Carey Witmer, the group publisher for the Meredith Food Group, said in a news release. "We believe an enhanced EatingWell best positions Meredith for continuing success and will drive sustainable growth."

Meredith plans to offer a newsstand-only Cooking Light special interest title in 2019 that will be published six times per year. The websites for EatingWell and Cooking Light will continue to operate as independent operations and licensing agreements for both brands will stay in place.

As part of the merger, Meredith pledged to bring jobs to Des Moines as it brought many of Time's former corporate functions in New York to Iowa.

In seeking $460,000 in state tax credits, the publishing company pledged to add at least 41 jobs in Des Moines that paid at least $29.12 per hour. As part of its economic development incentives, the company announced a $20.6 million plan to upgrade its offices.

The company planned to spend $5 million on building renovations, $10 million on computer software, $3 million on new furniture and fixtures, $2 million on research and development and $600,000 on new computer hardware.

More:Iowa awards Meredith tax incentives to help fund $20 million office renovation, expansion

Meredith employs about 900 workers in Des Moines, Slusark said. Even after cutting 15 positions here, he said the publisher was still meeting its jobs commitment to the state.

He said Meredith has added 140 positions in consumer marketing, finance and IT in Des Moines since the merger and anticipates hiring another 100 people here.

"So the benefits," he said, "are far outweighing anything we have done on the other side."