AP: Sequestration means mass furloughs in April

By STEPHEN LOSEY   |   Comments

 

(Defense Department)

The Pentagon is planning to furlough hundreds of thousands of civilian employees beginning in April if a deal is not struck to avert sequestration, according to an Associated Press report.

The AP said that Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters Friday that if sequestration’s budget cuts go into effect as scheduled on March 1, employees will be furloughed one day per week between April and Sept. 30, the end of fiscal 2013. The AP reported that Carter said the furloughs would likely save $5 billion.

The Army also on Jan. 22 officially froze civilian hiring and ordered managers to lay off temporary employees and let term employees’ appointments lapse once they expire. Thomas Lamont, the Army’s assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs, said in a memo that day that the Army may not extend any job offers. Firm job offers extended before Jan. 22 will be honored as long as an entry-on-duty date had been set. Continue reading “AP: Sequestration means mass furloughs in April”