State Retirement Signups Short Of Goal As Deadline Nears

BOSTON (AP) — With a deadline approaching, it appears as if fewer Massachusetts state employees are opting for early retirement than originally projected.

The state Retirement Board reports that 2,870 executive branch workers had applied for the program through the end of Thursday. The deadline is Friday at 5 p.m. and last-minute signups are expected.

Gov. Charlie Baker's administration had originally estimated that about 4,500 workers would accept incentives to take early retirement, trimming the state's payroll and saving more than $170 million in the fiscal year starting July 1.

Administration officials have said in the past that layoffs might be necessary if the number of applicants fell short of the goal, but other options for closing the gap could be considered.