The Hill reports that the Department of Defense has initiated its furlough plan requiring civilian employees to take one unpaid day off per week through the end of September.

“The furloughs, which amount to a 20 percent weekly pay cut for civilians, are saving the Pentagon roughly $1.8 billion. They were announced in May by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel as a necessary step to deal with across-the-board budget cuts of $37 billion under sequestration for the fiscal year.”

“While 11 days might be a hefty pay cut over three months, it also could have been worse: the Pentagon had initially threatened to furlough civilians for 22 days this year. Of course, if sequestration is not dealt with in 2014, civilian workers could be staring down another round of furloughs — or even layoffs.”

Crossposted from Wonk Wire.