Federal government shutdowns can disrupt air travel, threaten food assistance programs for millions of people, and leave federal workers without pay.
November 09, 2025
high
policy_impact
Common effects reported during U.S. federal government funding lapses.
As of 2025, Virginia had around 320,000 federal workers and hundreds of thousands of federal contractors.
November 04, 2025
high
temporal
Scale of federal employment and contracting in the state of Virginia.
Federal government shutdowns can cause missed paychecks for federal workers, which can increase stress and distraction among those workers and can disrupt government operations such as airport operations.
October 31, 2025
high
process
Describes general operational impacts of federal shutdowns on federal employees and public services.
Federal courts can issue rulings that pause planned layoffs of federal workers during a government shutdown.
October 17, 2025
high
legal
Judicial intervention can affect employment actions taken during shutdowns.
Federal government shutdowns can result in unpaid federal workers and reduced staffing levels for essential services, including air traffic control.
October 07, 2025
high
operational
Describes a systemic effect of government shutdowns on the federal workforce and continuity of essential services.
Head Start programs in the United States rely on federal grant funding and require congressional appropriations to renew those grants; if federal appropriations lapse, Head Start programs can be unable to operate until grant renewals are processed and federal staff are recalled to work.
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
Describes the funding dependency and operational vulnerability of Head Start programs to lapses in federal appropriations.
A 2019 law established that federal workers furloughed during a federal government shutdown should receive backpay.
2019
high
temporal
Legislative change following a prolonged shutdown
The usual practice during a U.S. government shutdown is to furlough federal workers and restore them to their jobs once the shutdown ends.
high
temporal
Describes typical treatment of federal employees when funding lapses during a shutdown.
When federal workers experience missed paychecks or prolonged funding lapses, financial strain can increase absenteeism and may lead aviation authorities to limit flights at major airports.
high
operational
Links workforce compensation disruptions to operational impacts on aviation services during funding lapses or shutdowns.
U.S. federal government shutdowns can halt distribution of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits and cause federal workers to miss paychecks when agencies lack appropriated funding.
high
impact
Common effects of lapses in federal appropriations
Federal government shutdowns can disrupt government programs, cause flight delays, and leave federal workers without pay or furloughed.
high
consequence
General impacts associated with lapses in federal funding.
Federal government shutdowns can leave thousands of federal workers without pay and disrupt government services across the country.
high
impact
Describes typical consequences of a federal funding lapse (government shutdown).
Federal government shutdowns can cause federal workers to miss paychecks and experience financial stress.
high
causal
Describes a common economic impact of federal funding lapses on public employees.