The Atlanta Journal-Constitution plans to cut its distribution area from 74 to 49 counties, a move that will eliminate 62 jobs.

The cutback will pare circulation by about 2.2 percent daily and 1.9 percent Sunday, the company said Wednesday.

The change takes effect June 2 and marks the second time in a little over a year that the AJC has trimmed its print distribution area to cut costs. Counties affected in the latest round are mainly in the northwest corner of the state, along the South Carolina border and northeast of the Columbus area.

After the cuts, the AJC will be distributed in 46 Georgia counties and three in North Carolina.

Employees whose jobs are eliminated can apply for other open jobs at the AJC, and if not selected will be compensated under an involuntary separation program, the company said. No details were available.

The change won't affect the AJC's readership statistics because they are based on a core 28-county market, according to the announcement.

The AJC says its total audience of both print and online readers is expanding and recently reached 2.2 million as measured in a recent seven-day period. But print circulation has been in decline, and the latest distribution cut will take another bite.

In the most recent six-month measuring period ended March 31, circulation fell 8.5 percent daily, to 326,907; and 5.0 percent Sunday, to 497,149. The AJC attributed some of the declines to a previous round of distribution area cutbacks in 2007. Prior to that cut, the AJC's distribution area covered almost 200 counties in five states.

With the June distribution cuts, the AJC said circulation will drop to 320,200 daily and 487,700 Sunday.

Several big U.S. newspapers, facing declining revenue and print circulation, have also pared distribution areas to cut costs and focus on core markets.

The AJC also said it plans a new partnership with the Rome News-Tribune to distribute the Atlanta newspaper in Floyd and Polk counties.