NATION IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Dinkins Expects Big Cuts in City Workers

Mayor David N. Dinkins said that thousands of city workers will be laid off because of an unexpected and steep falloff in revenues. Philip Michael, the city’s budget director, gave a preliminary estimate of 20,000 jobs that could be eliminated through layoffs and attrition. Services will also be cut, he said, although no details were available. Michael said the budget gap for the 1991 fiscal year has grown to $500 million, double the $250-million gap estimated three weeks ago. The 1992 budget deficit could be as high as $2.1 billion, Michael said.