Some US employees' pay will be whittled in October

Most of the federal government's 1.4 million white-collar workers will take a pay cut in October, because of a little-noticed bookkeeping change Congress passed last year to hold down federal payroll costs, it was reported.

The Washington Post quoted government payroll officials as saying the typical federal worker will lose about $3.40 per pay period. The change, which affects how hourly wages are calculated for professional, technical, and clerical employees, will reduce government salaries in the Washington area alone about $ 24 million a year, the newspaper said.