The cuts aren't said to be too significant but good luck telling that to the people who'll no longer be receiving quality Cohn-crotch time. Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street bank that generated 58 percent of first-half revenue from sales and trading, eliminated 20 to 30 jobs in that division this week, according to a person briefed on the matter. The cuts affected salespeople and traders in the U.S., with most taking place in New York, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the reductions aren’t being announced publicly. The decision is part of a continuous review of staffing levels amid difficult markets, the person said. Goldman Sachs Said To Cut More Than 20 In Sales, Trading [Bloomberg]

A whole bunch of senior people were to pack up their things and leave last Thursday. Goldman Sachs laid off about 50 people last week, according to people briefed on the matter but not authorized to speak on the record. The cutbacks have rattled some people in the firm, in part because a number of the employees were managing directors and on the higher end of Goldman’s pay scale. We're also told that "good performers, not dead weight" were among those cut, which must doubly sting. Goldman Sachs Cuts A Little Deeper [NYT]

The House of Lloyd is said to be doing its annual cut of the bottom 5 percent and then some later this week.

The cuts aren't expected to go too deep but every man, woman, and plant counts. David A. Viniar, Goldman's chief financial officer, said the latest round of belt-tightening by the New York company might include job losses for "a couple of hundred people." By year end, Goldman will reduce total expenses by $500 million on top of about $1.4 billion in cuts since last spring. Goldman To Tighten Belt Further [WSJ] Related: Goldman Sachs’ Philodendrons In The Line Of Fire

Supposedly summer cuts are under consideration at all firms. Morgan Stanley is planning to eliminate about 100 trading jobs internationally in the next several weeks — with an unknown number of the cuts coming from New York. At Goldman, executives are likely to let the hatchet fall if the slowdown in trading doesn’t reverse itself, bank officials have said...Goldman is already cutting selectively among its middle-management ranks but could cut even deeper, sources explained. Goldman CFO David Viniar has told people that the firm may have to undergo a “right-sizing” again if the markets’ rocky road doesn’t improve, according to sources. And it’s not just Goldman and Morgan. Industry sources said that a number of other firms, including Citigroup and Barclays Capital, may also look to trim staff. [NYP]