Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Photo by Daniel X. O'Neil.
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Chicago government imposes hiring freeze to offset major budget deficit
The country’s third-largest city has imposed a hiring freeze as it faces a major shortfall in its budget.
Chicago’s freeze applies to all departments and positions, the Chicago Tribune reports. This affects 3,000 open positions in the city, which covers about 9 percent of Chicago’s workforce.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot applied the freeze as part of a larger move to scrutinize the city’s fiscal priorities to offset a deficit of over $700 million, according to the Tribune.
“With Chicago facing one of the largest budgetary gaps in recent history, these measures are just one part of a broader approach we must take to restore our finances and put Chicago on a path to a stronger, more secure future,” Chicago Budget Director Susie Park said in a news release, per the Chicago Sun-Times.
Park also noted that every position and line item is being considered to offset the shortfall, which could include layoffs, the Sun-Times reports.
Lightfoot is expected to outline the city’s budget crisis in a rare prime-time speech on Aug. 29, according to WBEZ Rundown.
Good Luck with that plan. How long do you think it will take for the decreased services to further impact the quality of life in Chicago? Death by a thousand cuts.