Fiscal cliff threatens 277,000 federal jobs

Federal workers have weathered a two-year pay freeze, increased health insurance premiums, and threats of more cuts from Republicans.

Now their jobs are in jeopardy. Some 277,000 workers — 14% of the federal work force — could lose their jobs in the next 12 months if the U.S. cannot avert the so-called fiscal cliff, according to a study by the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.

If Congress doesn’t act by Jan. 1, the U.S. will go over the fiscal cliff, triggering about $1.2 trillion worth of spending cuts over a decade.

The cuts could slice some 48,000 federal workers from civilian defense jobs and 229,000 from federal jobs.

SOURCE: CNN