Major US airlines to lay off thousands of workers as Covid-19 support expires

Major US airlines have warned they will lay off tens of thousands of workers in October when the Cares Act payroll support program for the industry expires, raising the prospect of devastation for many workers and their families. Fired airline workers will enter an economy still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic and where weekly unemployment claims remain above 1m. The airline industry is among several where large employers have announced plans to conduct mass job cuts over the next few months. Among the largest airlines in the US, thousands of workers have already taken voluntary separation agreements, early retirement or volunteered leave of absences as part of efforts to reduce workforces to mitigate expected furloughs and layoffs in October. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the air transportation industry fell from about 512,000 workers in March 2020 to about 380,000 in June 2020. According to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, about 1,000 flight attendants in the US have tested positive for coronavirus. The union is pushing for the Cares Act payroll protection program for airlines to be extended until March 2021, as only about 20% of air travel has returned. American Airlines has warned it could lay off up to 20,000 employees. United Airlines said in early July 2020 it could lay off 36,000 employees, about half its workforce in the US.<br/>