Interpublic Group has cut over 3,200 jobs globally in 2025 amidst sectoral pressures and regulatory delays to its planned merger with Omnicom, signalling strategic restructuring ahead of creating the world’s largest advertising agency.
Interpublic Group (IPG) has undertaken a significant workforce reduction, cutting 3,200 jobs globally since the start of 2025. This reduction, representing just over 5% of its staff, is part of a broader restructuring initiative ahead of its anticipated $13.5 billion merger with Omnicom Group. The company’s filings for the quarter ending September 30, 2025, reveal that 800 roles were eliminated in Q3 alone, following earlier cuts of 2,400 in the first half of the year. Alongside these job reductions, IPG also vacated approximately 135,000 square feet of office space as part of ongoing efforts to optimise costs.
Despite a 5.1% decrease in revenue year-on-year during Q3, IPG reported improved profitability attributed to cost-saving measures and operational efficiencies. Organic revenue declined 2.9%, largely due to net client losses in sectors such as retail, automotive, and transportation, coupled with diminished spending by existing clients. The U.S. market saw a 1.5% drop in organic revenue driven by slowdowns in sports marketing, digital projects, advertising, and data analytics services. Regionally, the company experienced revenue declines in key markets including the UK (down 8.3%), continental Europe (down 4.2%), Asia-Pacific (down 6.0%), and Latin America (down 12.9%). Growth in the Middle East partially offset these declines, signalling regional variances in market performance.
Amid these challenges, IPG continued to secure new business, particularly in the food & beverage, healthcare, financial services, and technology & telecom sectors. A notable win was the appointment as global agency partner for Bayer’s Consumer Health division, encompassing creative, production, and media services. This contract underscores IPG’s continuing strength and integrated capabilities despite broader sectoral pressures.
The restructuring programme, initially presented by CEO Philippe Krakowsky in early 2025, is designed to generate $250 million in savings during the year, separate from the $750 million in synergies expected from the Omnicom merger. Job cuts have spanned various roles including executives, regional managers, account management, creative, administration, and media production. These workforce reductions build on a 2024 downsizing when IPG trimmed 4,100 jobs, partially driven by the sale of agencies Hill Holliday and Deutsch New York. By the end of June 2025, IPG’s employee count had fallen to approximately 51,300, now further reduced to an estimated 50,900 following the Q3 cuts.
The merger itself, setting the stage to create the world’s largest advertising and marketing agency, awaits final regulatory approvals. While the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have granted clearance, with the CMA deciding in August 2025 not to advance to a phase 2 investigation after a preliminary review, approvals remain pending from the European Union and Mexican authorities. The CMA’s initial inquiry, launched in mid-2025, assessed competition risks in the UK market but found no cause for deeper scrutiny. The FTC approval came with a notable condition: the merged entity must avoid coordination with other firms that could steer advertising spend based on political content, aiming to prevent bias in ad placements while allowing for independent advertiser choice.
Regulatory delays mean the merger’s completion could extend to the end of 2025, contingent on securing the outstanding EU and Mexico clearances. Both Omnicom and IPG have extended deadlines for their exchange offers and consent solicitations into October 2025 to accommodate this timeline. Omnicom plans to reveal its post-merger organisational structure and portfolio strategy at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) scheduled for January 2026.
Omnicom itself has been undertaking operational tightening, reducing its workforce by 3,000 jobs in 2024, leaving it with nearly 75,000 employees. The combined entity is expected to integrate these global workforces as it seeks to streamline operations and leverage synergies post-merger.
Overall, the merger marks a transformative moment in the advertising industry, with IPG’s job cuts, cost optimisation, and sectoral shifts reflecting both the challenges and strategic repositioning efforts in the lead-up to this historic consolidation.
📌 Reference Map:
- [1] (Storyboard18) – Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- [2] (Reuters) – Paragraph 7, 8
- [3] (Reuters) – Paragraph 8
- [4] (Omnicom Group) – Paragraph 9
- [5] (Exchange4Media) – Paragraph 9
- [6] (SEC.gov) – Paragraph 9
- [7] (SEC.gov) – Paragraph 9
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative is current, with the latest data from September 2025. The earliest known publication date of similar content is August 7, 2025, reporting on IPG’s initial 2,400 job cuts. ([exchange4media.com](https://www.exchange4media.com/advertising-news/ipg-lays-off-2400-ahead-of-omnicom-merger-146184.html?utm_source=openai)) The report is based on IPG’s SEC filings, indicating a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures or dates were found. The article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. ([storyboard18.com](https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/ipg-cuts-3200-jobs-as-of-september-2025-ahead-of-omnicom-takeover-83962.htm?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative does not contain direct quotes. The information is paraphrased from IPG’s SEC filings and other reputable sources, indicating originality.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from Storyboard18, a source with limited verifiability. While it references IPG’s SEC filings and other reputable sources, the lack of a well-established reputation raises some concerns.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims align with known industry trends and IPG’s previous announcements. The narrative includes specific figures and dates, enhancing credibility. The tone and language are consistent with corporate communications. No excessive or off-topic details are present.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents current information on IPG’s job cuts ahead of the Omnicom merger, with data up to September 2025. While the content is largely consistent with previous reports and includes updated figures, the reliance on a less verifiable source and the recycling of older material warrant further scrutiny.
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