U.S. airlines to end year with 90,000 fewer workers
14 November, 2020
Hit with a collapse of demand, U.S. airlines will end the entire year with the cheapest number of employees since at least 1987, 90,000 less than when COVID-19 hit, a business federation said.
Airlines for America said the number of full-time equivalent positions will drop to 370,000 towards the end of December from 460,000 in March, a drop of almost 20 percent.
As coronavirus cases explode, approaching the worst days of the pandemic, authorities have stepped up restrictions.
The amount of passengers carried in America in recent weeks has remained 65 percent less than the same period this past year, the organization said.
Airlines primarily cut staff through early retirement and voluntary furloughs.
The companies pledged to carry off on any layoffs until Sept 30, in trade for aid of $25 billion.
But after Democrats and Republicans didn't acknowledge a news stimulus package that would extend the support, United Airlines and American Airlines let go 32,000 workers in October.
Furthermore, four smaller U.S. carriers turn off, Airlines for America said in its study of the pandemic impact on the industry, which also showed a quarter of aircraft have already been grounded for at least 30 days.
Source: japantoday.com