Washington, DC -- The federal judiciary has cut 1,350 employees in the money crunch while waiting for Congress to approve a 2005 budget, the courts said Wednesday.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, based in Washington, said courts are apparently the only federal entity to sustain such cutbacks.
The job losses represent 6 percent of those employed in clerks' offices and in probation offices.
The Western District of Tennessee suffered the biggest percentage cut, 15.6 percent, or 30 of 192 employees. The Central District of California, based in Los Angeles, lost the most in number -- 80 of 857 employees.
The administrative office said the federal judiciary represents about two-tenths of 1 percent of the federal budget.
In July, the House approved a $4.177 billion judiciary budget for 2005; the Senate has approved a $4.13 billion budget.
The judiciary has asked for a $4.197 billion budget to maintain staff and rents at early 2004 levels.
Email This Page!