Exhausted air traffic controllers are making more mistakes on the job amid a stretched workforce doing 10-hour workdays and 6-day workweeks, report says

• The shortage in US air traffic controllers is not new, but it has reached a critical juncture.
• As controllers endure lengthier workweeks, they're becoming increasingly susceptible to making mistakes, per The Times.
• The problem is exacerbated by waves of retirements that have affected the workforce over the years.

For years, air traffic controllers have seen their ranks diminish, to the point where 10-hour days and six-day workweeks have become increasingly common among this group tasked with preserving safety in America's skies.

And the strain on controllers has led to a workforce that's become demoralized and exhausted, which in turn has led to controllers becoming increasingly susceptible to making mistakes, according to The New York Times.