NEW YORK (Reuters) –
Time Warner Inc.'s Fortune business magazine plans to cut the number of issues it publishes annually to 18 from 25, and make other changes that could result in more staff cuts, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday.

It was not clear yet how many people might lose their jobs, the newspaper said.

Fortune, like many other U.S. business magazines, has struggled in the advertising downturn.

Fortune will publish two issues some months and just one issue during other months, in the new publishing schedule is part of a remodeling that is expected to result in staff cuts and a sharper focus on the long stories that have been its trademark, the Journal said.

The revamp is a prelude to broader staff cuts at Time Inc., the Time Warner Inc. magazine unit that includes Fortune, the newspaper said citing people familiar with the matter.

Although plans have not been finalized, it was expected that there will be a near replay, in terms of job losses, of the restructuring kicked off last fall, the newspaper said.

That restructuring pared more than 6 percent of Time Inc.'s work force, or more than 600 positions.

(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan; Editing by David Gregorio)