More State Jobs Cuts Announced

The Rendell Administration says and additional 319 state employees will lose their jobs by the end of the week due to budget cuts. The Department of Environmental Protection is the hardest-hit agency. The layoffs will eliminate 138 jobs at tat agency alone. The department says the cuts will result in longer waits on permit application approvals. 85 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission jobs will also be cut. The commission says it will eliminate services at several sites, including Washington Crossing Historic Park. Administration Secretary Naomi Wyatt says affected employees will be notified over the coming week. She says even though the job cuts are officially called furloughs, “For the foreseeable future those jobs are gone for good. They’re not budgeted into agencies’ budgets for the rest of this year. And agencies are working on their budgets for the following year and aren’t going to be building those in.” The workers’ last day on the job will be Friday, though Wyatt says they’ll be paid through December 4th. 29 Public Welfare, 17 Military and Veterans Affairs and 24 executive office employees will be furloughed, as well, with other cuts in five additional departments. This brings the total number of state workers laid off this year to 769.