Lauren Frohlich, Fellow

As a result of the government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not release its monthly jobs report that it was scheduled to release today. Even without the BLS jobs report we know that the government shutdown is changing the jobs picture dramatically. 

At least 800,000 federal workers are being furloughed without pay for the duration of the shutdown. Some of these workers have already applied for unemployment benefits, which would need to be returned if they are later issued back pay. Unemployment insurance eligibility requirements vary by state, but in general, employees will be eligible for unemployment if their pay is withheld for seven or more consecutive days. In states with high numbers of federal workers, unemployment offices are already struggling to process the influx of applications. 

Beyond the dramatic national numbers, stories have poured in from across the country about the number of government programs and the people they serve affected by the shutdown. The shuttering of programs not only strains the lives of already vulnerable families but also causes the loss of wages and jobs for the people who run those programs. 

For example, as a result of the shutdown, states are forced to close 23 Head Start programs that serve 19,000 children and employ thousands of staff.