As a direct result of sequestration, various federal government departments and agencies has started to send out furlough notices to thousands of workers throughout the state of Hawaii. Sequestration will cut $85 billion in defense and non-defense cuts during this fiscal year. Over the next ten years approximately 1 trillion will be cut in federal funding.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet has stated that workers would be subject to one day of furlough per week for the last 22 weeks of the current fiscal year. This will effect over 4,000 civilian workers, many of whom work at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Shipyard spokerwoman, Jensin Sommer stated that the shipyard workforce is “definitely very concerned about the impacts of potential furlough.” Sommer added, “I can’t speak for them at large, but I know that individually, people are concerned about the measures that they are going to have to take to make up for the loss of 20 percent of their income.”
The Justice Department stated that some of their employees will be furloughed for 14 workdays. The Transportation Security Administration stated that they will also be forced to furlough workers and warned, “as sequestration takes effect, travelers can expect to see lines and wait times increase as reductions to overtime and the inability to backfill positions for attrition begin to occur this month.” TSA added that due to staffing decreases, security waiting times at the larger airports could double.
The U.S. Army Pacific stated that approximately 7,032 civilian workers in Hawaii would be furloughed by 22 days or 176 hours of work. The Hawaii National Guard added that sequestration would result in 1,100 citizen soldiers and airmen being furloughed, though the exact amount of time has not been released. Hawaii National Guard spokesman, Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony, stated, “So if this thing keeps going for a long period of time — let’s say sequester continues to haunt us through the end of the fiscal year, it’s pretty obvious this thing is going to start cutting into readiness. So it’s an economic hardship, and it’s probably also going to be a readiness hardship. The amount of training that we are doing is being greatly curtailed.”
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 3-5-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
