NEW YORK (AP) Lockheed Martin said Monday that it is furloughing about 2,400 workers due to the U.S. government shutdown 20 percent less than the defense contractor had initially planned.
On Friday Lockheed Martin announced that it was going to furlough 3,000 employees because of the government shutdown.
The company based in Bethesda, Maryland, said Monday that it adjusted its initial figure because the Department of Defense recalled most of its civilian employees to work. U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced Saturday that most of the nearly 400,000 civilian Department of Defense workers are considered essential for national security.
Another defense contractor, United Technologies Corp., said Sunday that it was canceling its plans to furlough 2,000 workers after Hagel made the announcement.
Lockheed Martin Corp. said that of the 2,400 employees being furloughed, about 2,100 work on civilian agency programs and 300 work on Department of Defense programs. While most of the workers being furloughed are based in the Washington, D.C., area, the affected employees are located throughout 27 states.