New York City government job cuts announced in August will now see 9,000 employees temporarily laid off starting October thanks to a budget shortfall.
The furloughs were announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said layoffs remained on the horizon. These 9,000 employees won't be getting their weekly five days' pay when they are furloughed from October to March. Among those sent home are managerial staff and nonunion employees.
De Blasio said letting go these people will save the cash-strapped city more than $21 million. He warned he might have to take even more steps if both the federal and state governments don't come through with financial aid.
"It's difficult because it will affect real people and their lives," de Blasio said. "It will affect their families. And these are people who have been working nonstop for months trying to protect all of you and look out for the whole city.
These city employees were supposed to have gone on unpaid leave Aug. 31. De Blasio held back on the furloughs after union leaders persuaded him to delay the cuts and explore other ways to cut costs.
He announced five-day furloughs for 495 staffers of the mayor's office, including himself, last week. If things get worse, the furloughs will become layoffs.
"We have to look for any and all savings we can find right now," he said. "No one wants layoffs, but unfortunately, they are very much still on the table."
The fall in city income, sales taxes and tourism revenues could cost the city up to $10 billion, said some sources. De Blasio said the city's unemployment system collapsed following a rise in claims. NYC now requires federal assistance to maintain basic services.
De Blasio admitted the option of asking the Senate for a multibillion dollar relief package "appears to be dead now."
Unless the city can find another source of cash, city authorities will have to implement "painfully real" plans to lay off 22,000 public workers by Oct. 1.
"The overwhelming cost of local government is personnel," he said Wednesday, adding that there won't be any police job cuts.
"Where we put our money is into the people who provide services to New Yorkers, whether they're first responders, health care workers, sanitation workers, educators, you name it."
"If you're going to keep cutting and keep cutting, it has to at some point reach personnel. It's just pure logic of budgets, and it's very sad logic. I don't like it one bit, and I want to avert this at all costs. So that 22,000 number is painfully real."
