Gov. Inslee today announced higher-paid state employees will not receive the 3% pay increases scheduled to take effect July 1. He also called on agencies to begin furloughs for many state workers.
Most state employees are scheduled to receive the general wage increase July 1 as approved by the Legislature last year. But under Inslee’s directive, cabinet agencies will cancel the pay raise for agency directors, Exempt Management Service and Washington Management Service employees, and all other exempt employees who earn more than $53,000 annually…
The canceled pay raise will affect nearly 5,600 general government employees. This includes Exempt Management Service employees, made up mostly of state agency executive and senior-level managers, and Washington Management Service employees, largely mid-level managers across state government.
The furloughs are temporary.
In addition to cancelling pay raises, starting no later than June 28, more than 40,000 state employees will be required to take one furlough day per week through July 25. After July, employees will be required to take one furlough day per month at least through the fall.
Inslee’s announcement came as an official state forecast Wednesday projected a roughly $8.8 billion state budget shortfall through 2023 — worse than previously expected.
Early estimates had projected a $7 billion state budget shortfall through 2023.
That hit to Washington’s state operating budget — which funds schools, parks, prisons and social services — comes from lower tax collections amid the pandemic…
Early estimates show the canceled raises and furlough days will save about $55 million across the next year.
We’ll have more on the forecast in a separate post.
