In the last two fiscal years, the state has laid off 295 employees, according to a report legislative budget analyst Keith Bybee just presented to JFAC. That was 149 in fiscal year 2009, and 146 so far in the current year, fy 2010. (Bybee cautioned that some of those figures could include some employees dismissed in other kinds of personnel actions.) In fy 2009, 4,536 state employees took 96,166 unpaid furlough hours - the equivalent of 12,021 unpaid days off. So far this year, 5,906 state workers have taken 136,525 furlough hours, or 17,066 unpaid days off. That's as of now - just halfway through the fiscal year.

JFAC this morning is examining the impact of holdbacks and recissions on the state budget thus far. One issue agencies are facing: How to manage vacation and sick leave when workers already are having to take so much unpaid time off.

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