Impact of Government Shutdown Felt by Federal Workers

Thu Nov 13 2025 16:18:04 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Federal employees voice their frustrations and hardships caused by the recent government shutdown, highlighting issues of trust and economic strain.

The recent government shutdown, the longest in history, left many federal employees, like Jessica Sweet, struggling with financial hardships and feelings of betrayal after political negotiations triggered unpaid leave and layoffs. As the shutdown ends, workers express a mix of relief and lingering distrust of the political process, while advocating for the preservation of welfare programs and federal support.

WASHINGTON — Jessica Sweet, a federal employee, felt the tightening grips of the government shutdown as she cut back on essentials just to make ends meet. Like many of her colleagues, Sweet experienced the struggle of navigating life without a paycheck, opting for one coffee a day, skipping meals, and deferring household bills just to get to work. As the shutdown concluded, Sweet, along with hundreds of thousands of other federal workers, expressed concerns about how their livelihoods had become pawns in political games.

It’s very frustrating to go through something like this, shared Sweet, a union steward in New York. It shakes the foundation of trust that we all place in our federal agencies and government. The shutdown began on October 1 after a standoff between Democrats and Republicans regarding health insurance subsidies. Ultimately, a bipartisan agreement allowed for government funding without extending special subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

The impact of the shutdown affected around 670,000 employees who were furloughed, with another 730,000 working without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. The burdens placed on these employees, including disrupted personal finances and reliance on food banks, only increased public pressure on lawmakers to resolve the deadlock.

Throughout the six weeks of impasse, federal workers were often used as leverage in political negotiations, leading to a growing sense of vulnerability among them. They felt like pawns in a game with high stakes, and many expressed their frustration over being left in limbo regarding their financial stability and job security.

With the end of the shutdown comes not just a return to work for many, but also delayed opportunities for wages severely missed during this time. As they return, they do so with mixed feelings: relief mixed with a profound sense of betrayal by some political allies who broke party lines. Workers like Adam Pelletier, a field examiner with the National Labor Relations Board, noted the compromise for rehiring laid-off employees felt hollow — almost like a cartoon where the promise of pay is fleeting.

Many employees are looking forward to returning to their roles but remain concerned about the potential for similar deadlocks in the future. For Elizabeth McPeak, an IRS employee, the experience during this shutdown was the hardest moment in her two-decade career. She witnessed colleagues resorting to food banks and struggling to meet rent obligations, emphasizing the long-lasting effects of political decisions on individuals.

The shared sentiment remains clear: federal workers are eager to get back to work but remain cautious about their future, speaking out about the need for stability amid political contention.