WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE- A second year of pay freezes for state employees is on the horizon.

Louisiana's civil service chief recommends the suspension of the annual 4% pay raise for 56,000 rank-and-file government workers.

The civil service director says many agencies can't afford the raises, and eliminating them could avoid layoffs in the upcoming fiscal year.

The Civil Service Commission decides on the proposal next month.

Governor Jindal supports the recommendation. He already asked for the "merit pay" to be suspended in the new fiscal year, when the state faces a $1.6 billion shortfall.