Weber Shandwick has cut six percent of its Minneapolis-area staff as the effects of sequestration ripple through the firm's government work.

The firm's Bloomington office is the hub for its U.S. Army PR work. The Pentagon budget is a major target of the sequester cuts.

Twin Cities Business magazine, which first reported the WS layoffs, said nine jobs were cut across the office of 149 in the move.

Ogilvy PR last month trimmed its Washington workforce, citing budget freezes and government apprehension to award new contracts.

The sequester cuts started on March 1 and will squeeze $85B from federal spending by September.

Government contractors will likely feel the cuts as options on existing or expiring contracts are declined, budgets are submitted at the lower end of guidelines, and new contracts are not awarded, according to Federal Times.