American City Business Journals has laid off 15 employees from its Pleasanton office and will merge its East Bay and San Francisco Businss Times editions.

Today’s edition of the East Bay Business Times was its last edition. Beginning Oct. 17, East Bay subscribers will receive the San Francisco Business Times, which will include features from the East Bay edition.

“We started the East Bay Business Times 10 years ago during the height of the dot.com period. Despite a lot of hard work by those who worked in East Bay over the years, we have struggled to find firm financial footing,” said Ray Shaw, chairman of American City Business Journals, parent company to both newspapers and 39 other U.S. business journals. “Today’s economic climate only exacerbates a tough situation.”

“This is a sad day for ACBJ,” Shaw said in a statement. “While I’m reluctant to forecast the future, I can say that I don’t anticipate any other mergers of our business journals. East Bay and San Francisco have a very close geographical proximity not duplicated anywhere else in the company. And the two markets have become increasingly interdependent.”

The company will keep its Pleasanton office open and maintain a staff there of 10.

The East Bay operation will be headed up by East Bay Business Times Publisher Mike Consol and Editor Al Pacciorini, whose new titles will be associate publisher and bureau chief, respectively.