Hiring Freeze Inches Ever Closer To Absolute Zero

Another “hiring freeze”:

Mayor Bloomberg imposed a hiring freeze today.

With the stock market tanking and the city grappling with a $4.6 billion project deficit next year, city Budget Director Mark Page fired off a memo to agency heads limiting hiring to positions needed to protect public health and safety.

“The mayor has directed that all hiring be frozen for the foreseeable future,” the memo stated. “Only hiring for positions immediately impacting public health and safety positions which help maintain budget balance through this period may be exempted by the mayor on a case-by-case basis.”

It’s not clear how this hiring freeze is different from the one in 2002. Or 2007. Or 2009. Or 2010. Brrr!