Interactive Downturn

The latest cutbacks at iXL underscore the growing pains—and in many cases outright convulsions—being experienced by interactive marketing firms.

Atlanta-based iXL is consolidating its Massachusetts operations, said company representative Bill Getch.

The Bay State offices have more than 300 employees. Sources said more than half of those staffers were let go last week.

Getch declined to comment on reports of sizeable layoffs at iXL’s 115-person San Francisco office. The layoffs come on the heels of iXL’s dismissal of 350 employees last month, a figure the firm said equaled 10 percent of its global workforce.

Many online marketing enterprises have cut staff, closed offices and seen stock tumble recently.

Analysts attribute the downturn to a softness in the Internet market, and excessive hiring and expenditures.