Lockheed to reduce planned layoffs

WASHINGTON — Military giant Lockheed Martin Corp. said Monday that it would reduce its planned layoffs to 2,400 after the Pentagon recalled most of the civilian workers it had furloughed because of the partial federal government shutdown.

The move came after United Technologies Corp. said Sunday that it was canceling the planned layoff of 2,000 employees at its Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. because of the return of the Defense Department workers.

Lockheed announced Friday that it would lay off 3,000 employees starting Monday because of the shutdown.

About 400,000 civilian Defense Department workers were furloughed last week amid a budget stalemate in Washington that left many parts of the government without funding.

But Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday that he was recalling most of those furloughed civilian workers after Pentagon and Justice Department officials decided that those employees provided crucial support services for military service members, who remain on duty.

Those civilian workers include inspectors for military equipment, whose return, United Technologies said, enabled the company to cancel planned layoffs this week. Sikorsky makes Blackhawk and other military helicopters.

The return of most civilian Defense Department workers has less effect on Lockheed, whose employees also work on civilian government agency programs. But the Pentagon change enabled Lockheed to reduce its planned layoffs by 600, the company said.