No Fooling...

With 667,000 Americans filing initial claims for unemployment insurance just in the week ending February 21, how confident would you be in voluntarily leaving your job to help out your employer?

That's apparently an issue at American Airlines, which needs to trim its flight attendant workforce by 410 to match recent cuts in capacity. The airline has tried offering job-sharing options, encouraging leaves of absence, and even extended continued employee travel benefits to those who'd agree to leave voluntarily.

Airline spokeswoman Sue Gordon tells the Dallas Morning News that American Airlines has actually seen less attrition than usual, not more.

"People are choosing to stay employed longer than we would have historically seen in terms of retirements and resignations," she said. "I think the economy is playing a factor where people are making different choices than they may have under a different economic environment."

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants notified its members of the company's solution Wednesday afternoon. "It is therefore notifying the 410 most junior of our members that they are subject to furlough effective April 1, 2009."

The union also told members the period during which they're eligible for recall has been extended two years.

FMI: www.aa.com