Hallmark sends a sympathy card

The nation’s leading greeting card company on Tuesday said it planned to cut up to 8% of its U.S. work force by laying off between 550 and 750 of its 9,200 full-time employees in the U.S.

The job cuts at the privately held company are expected to take place over the next six months and will involve 200 to 250 jobs at the company’s headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. Other cuts are expected to occur at six manufacturing and distribution facilities where between 350 and 450 jobs will be cut. Hallmark’s sales last year declined 2$ to $4.3 billion.