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Federal Daily News

Survey queries feds on budget cuts, pay freeze

Federal employees facing furloughs are concerned about making ends meet, going into debt, delaying medical treatment, paying school tuition and a number of other financial hardships, a survey by the nation’s largest federal employee union finds.

“These are not theoretical consequences,” Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said in a release, adding, “These are actual, serious problems that real people will face, with lasting impact on their lives.”

The NTEU conducted the online survey to gauge several hardships facing federal employees, specifically drawing from the union’s 150,000-plus members. The survey queried 2,258 respondents on trouble caused by budget cuts to date, the two-year federal pay freeze and the damage that employees expect the across the board cuts could cause.

Eighty-two percent of respondents predict that further pay losses due to the expected sequester-driven furloughs will cause “trouble paying their rent or mortgage, utility bills and food expenses.”

Seventy four percent report that -- due to the pay freeze already in place -- they “have had to cut back on necessities,” while, 66 percent report having “trouble making ends meet,” with 60 percent saying they are “getting further into debt.”

To illustrate, in terms of workplace and mission problems caused by the cuts, 80 percent say that due to existing budget cuts those who leave are not being replaced and 48 percent report that “critical work is not getting done.”

All told, 68 percent of respondents report that their agency lacks the resources to complete their missions properly.


 

Reader comments

Tue, Mar 5, 2013

Cut specific missions and stop this trimming of essential funding. This is how Benghazi happened.

Tue, Mar 5, 2013

I too have wondered why we are sending money to other countries when we cannot run our own. Maybe it is time to ammend the 27th Amendment so that Congress can be furloughed one day a month....heck they don't work a full year as it is. I'm low on the General Schedule so even 1 day month without pay would hurt. Start WORKING WITH the President and STOP BLAMING him for the mess Congress has made. Some of those people couldn't find their way out of a paper bag. Term limits would be a good thing for those career Senators and Congressmen.......Vote them out!!!

Mon, Mar 4, 2013

WOW somone is still trying to blame JW for this when BO is going down as one of the worst in Pres history. The Great Divider. Unfit and Unready to lead anything yet alone a Gov.

Fri, Mar 1, 2013 FED UP Washington, DC

Its time for Congress to be furloughed. They had better make as much money as they can because this will be their final term. Everyone must vote them out and ensure they feel the same pain the Federal Workers do at this time. The free health benefits for Congress must cut. If we pay they should pay. No more free rides while you cut others paychecks. The Federal Government is full of low grade employees that are already struggling. Its a shame again that the poor will suffer while rich runs to the bank....laughing.

Thu, Feb 28, 2013

As a federal worker, I'm tired of getting pay freezes, furloughs, etc. The general public does not have to worry about this. I can't even manage to make ends meet anymore. Looking for another job is not an option and neither is retirement. We do need to pray.

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