WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- President Obama called on Congress to pass a temporary budget bill, which would avoid the upcoming sequestration scheduled to hit March 1, but it may be too late for some local workers.

Some government contractors and sub-contractors have started notifying employees they'll be laid off in a few weeks unless lawmakers act quickly. The continual limbo of last-minute stop-gap measures is making future planning nearly impossible.

The Congressional Budget Office says sequestration could cost as many as 1 million jobs, and put the U.S. into a second recession.