Lockheed Martin to furlough 3,000 workers due to government shutdown

BETHESDA, Md. – Lockheed Martin says it will furlough 3,000 employees this week due to the government shutdown.

The big defence contractor said last week that the number of employees put on furlough will increase weekly if the shutdown continues.

Lockheed says the furloughs include employees who are unable to work because the government facility where they perform their work is closed, those whose work requires a government inspection that cannot be completed or the company has received a stop work order.

Another defence contractor United Technologies Corp. announced earlier in the week that it will furlough 2,000 employees by Monday and more than 5,000 if the shutdown continues into next month.

Lockheed urged Congress and the Obama administration to find a resolution. The partial government shutdown took effect Tuesday and has idled roughly 800,000 “non-essential” federal workers.

©The Canadian Press