A United Airlines Boeing 737-800 and the United Airlines A320 Airbus with a clear approach to the San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco.
Louis Nastro | Reuters
United Airlines said the jobs of about 14,000 workers are at risk when a second round of federal aid expires this spring, the latest sign of how the industry is struggling to regain its position in the coronavirus pandemic.
Businesses are legally obliged to notify employees if their jobs are at risk in advance and this does not mean that they will eventually lose their jobs. United are resorting to new voluntary measures to reduce its number of people.
United and American Airlines recently began recalling thousands of employees after which they sat down when the first round of government wage support expired in the fall. Congress approved additional aid to the industry last year, provided they reimburse retrenched employees and maintain salaries until March 31. United told employees last year that the recall is likely to be temporary.
“Despite ongoing efforts to distribute vaccines, customer demand has not changed much since we recalled employees,” the airline said Friday in a staff member seen by CNBC. “When the recall began, United said most recalled employees would return to their previous status due to the fall around April 1.”