Finally received the salary. The absenteeism rate among airport security personnel in the United States has significantly decreased.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) — The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said that, after getting paid, the absenteeism rate among about 50k airport security screening personnel under the agency dropped sharply. Most airports that had previously required passengers to queue for hours to get through security have returned to normal.

On March 27, passengers queue at LaGuardia Airport in New York, USA, waiting to go through security. Photo by Zhang Fengguo, Xinhua News Agency

Reuters on March 31 cited data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, reporting that on the last working day of last week, March 27, the absenteeism rate among TSA security screening personnel was 12.4%. On the first working day after they received their pay, March 30, the absenteeism rate fell to 8.6%. However, on that day, Atlanta International Airport still had 29% of security screening personnel absent. At two major airports in Houston, New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, and airports in Baltimore, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and other places, the absenteeism rates were around 20%.

Due to the “shutdown” at the Department of Homeland Security, employees responsible for airport security had previously gone without pay for six consecutive weeks. The number of people taking leave or even resigning surged, and the resulting staff shortages have made airport disorder increasingly severe. Reports of long lines for airport security screening and flight delays can be found everywhere across the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on March 27 authorizing compensation to be paid to airport security screening personnel who, since the Department of Homeland Security’s “shutdown,” had been unable to receive their wages.

Trump said the Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing “shutdown” has brought the U.S. air travel system “to the brink of collapse.” He said he had “determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency that poses a threat to national security,” and directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to coordinate with the White House Office of Management and Budget director to use funds that are “reasonably linked” to the TSA’s operations to pay the TSA security screening personnel who have been unable to receive wages since February. (Jing Jing)

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