The D.C. government has cut a couple thousand more youths from the summer jobs program ahead of the fifth pay period, reducing enrollment to fewer than 16,500 but still pushing the budget to the limit.

At the end of the week 16,480 individuals between the ages of 14 and 21 will be paid for their participation in the troubled Summer Youth Employment Program, said Mayor Adrian Fenty Tuesday. That is roughly 1,800 fewer than two weeks ago, reducing payroll by about $700,000.