NEW YORK — As concerns over laying off thousands of New York City workers continue, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday the city would hold off on sending layoff notices.
Layoff notices were expected to be sent out beginning Monday, but municipal labor unions have asked for more time to resolve the issue of borrowing power.
The hold will be assessed on a day-to-day basis, and de Blasio said he hopes the pause will lead to more progress in finding a solution.
“No one wants to see a single layoff, but we have to address our fiscal crisis,” the mayor said.
Mayor de Blasio acknowledged the layoff of workers would “take us in the wrong direction,” but “time has been ticking” and there still has not been a resolution or stimulus from the federal government.
The mayor first annonced in June that the city was prepared to lay off and furlough 22,000 city workers due to the city’s economic crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The layoffs are an option as the city continues to look for ways to make $1 billion in cuts. In July, city lawmakers passed an $88.19 billion budget that includes $1 billion in labor savings as a last resort.
