More federal workers seek unemployment benefits amid govt. shutdown
The number of furloughed US government working seeking unemployment benefits doubled between the first and second weeks of the partial federal shutdown, now in its 27th day, the longest in US history.
Some 4,800 federal workers filed unemployment claims during the week of December 29, a number that jumped to about 10,500 during the week of January 5, according to numbers released Thursday by the US Labor Department.
By comparison, just over 1,000 government workers sought unemployment assistance during the same period last year.
The figures suggest that the number of furloughed workers currently seeking unemployment benefits could be much higher now, as the protracted standoff stretches into its fourth week.
When the shutdown started on December 22, about 420,000 federal employees were deemed essential and are working unpaid. An additional 380,000 were furloughed without pay.
Most furloughed workers are eligible for unemployment benefits but will be required to return the money to the government when they receive back pay after the shutdown ends, according to the Associated Press.
Federal employees who are working without pay are not eligible for unemployment benefits.
Some federal workers, who missed their first paycheck on Friday, have set up GoFundMe accounts and sold off belongings to make ends meet during the shutdown.
The shutdown occurred after US President Donald Trump and Congress failed to agree on an appropriation bill that would include funding the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Angry furloughed government workers staged protest rallies across the country last week.
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