Pay cut coming for state employees

State employees will get a pay cut in May and June following a budget-tightening executive order signed by N.C. Gov. Beverly Perdue on Tuesday.

The cut, estimated to save $65 million over the next two months, will equal one-half percent of employees’ annual salaries.

Perdue said the decision came in an attempt to save $1 billion before the end of the fiscal budget year on June 30.

State employees may take 10 hours of unpaid leave between June 1 and Dec. 31.

As an example: A state employee making $30,000 a year will likely see a total $150 shortfall in May and June.

"The world is not ending," Perdue said during a morning news conference.

“These are solutions that may be distasteful to our people."

Although Perdue cannot, under the state constitution, demand elected officials take a pay cut, her executive order directed her salary be cut by the same amount and some lawmakers have stated they will be willing to accept the temporary cut as well.

— Jason Reagan