Despite ongoing news about the demise of printed magazines, publishers keep trying.
Crain's New York Business reports that 155 new print titles were launched in the U.S. and Canada during the first three quarters of 2012. That's just about even with last year's 151 launches at this time.
The good news is that "only" 55 titles folded during the period -- half the amount of a year ago.
The report also found that 26 digital-only magazines launched, while six shut down.
The category showing the most growth was luxury lifestyle publications. Even in this tough economy, the wealthy seem to have money to spend and high-end marketers are still spending to reach them.
The numbers don't look so great on the employment side of the magazine business, however. A separate report from the U.S. Dept. of Labor, reported in Media Daily News, shows employment in the magazine business has dropped by 29 percent over the past ten years. A little more than 111,000 people now work in magazine publishing, down from 156,000 in 2002. The number of companies listing themselves as magazine publishers is down 13 percent from five years asgo.
It looks like we can still find a magazine to read on the newsstand, but maybe not a job working at one.