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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, November 12, 2009

650 state workers to lose jobs to help Hawaii close budget deficit

Advertiser Staff

The Lingle administration announced today that about 650 state workers will lose their jobs to help the state reduce labor costs and close a budget deficit, down from the 1,100 originally targeted for layoffs.

Marie Laderta, the director of the state Department of Human Resources Development, said the difference is due to civil service protections and the decision by some state workers to leave the state workforce rather than face the layoff.

The administration said 84 noncivil service workers will lose their jobs tomorrow and 384 will be laid off next Friday. The remaining 181 will be laid off before the end of the year.

State workers represented by a public-sector union have civil-service protections that allow them to bump more junior colleagues, who in turn can bump if they have seniority.

Gov. Linda Lingle announced the layoffs last summer to help close the state's budget deficit, which has now grown to more than $1 billion through June 2011.

Lingle has said a second round of layoffs is possible.