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Published -
- April 20, 2020
- 2:23 am
Thousands of L.A. city workers to be furloughed.
In his 2020 State of the City address, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced plans for furloughs of thousands of city workers, part of a larger effort to ensure the city survives the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
Which departments will be impacted by the furloughs in Los Angeles?
On October 2, 2020, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that thousands of city workers in Los Angeles would be furloughed due to the constrictions on the city’s budget caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The furloughed employees are expected to be out of work for a total of 18 days.
The Mayor stated that the decision to furlough city workers was not one taken lightly but was necessary in the face of the revenue shortfalls resulting from the pandemic that were affecting the city’s budget. Garcetti revealed that L.A. was projecting a loss of $675 million in revenue this year alone, which has forced the city leadership to take drastic steps.
Furloughs will impact thousands of city workers, including the Department of Transportation, City Council staff, and the Mayor’s office, among other departments. The affected employees will be required to take one unpaid day off per two-week pay period, with the furloughs in place from October 2020 to June 2021.
The move is reported to affect nearly 16,000 city workers, including those in non-essential positions. Mayor Garcetti, however, emphasized that the furloughs would not impact essential services such as first responders, waste disposal, and other vital services required for the safe operation of the city.
The Mayor went on to note that this decision was not the only action the city would be taking in response to the budget shortfall. He explained that the city was taking significant measures to ensure that employees could avoid layoffs, with reduced work hours similar to the furloughs being implemented to mitigate the budget shortfall’s impact.
In conclusion, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s announcement regarding the furloughing of thousands of city workers was an indication that the pandemic’s financial strain was not limited to individuals, families, and small businesses. It affirms that even large cities such as Los Angeles are feeling the inflationary pressure resulting from the pandemic. While the decision may be a bitter pill for the affected employees to swallow, it is a necessary step in the bid to keep the city running without significant disruption to essential services.
