Winners and Losers: Over a Million Federal Workers Go Unpaid as US Government Shutdown Deepens

While more than a million federal employees across the United States are missing paychecks amid the ongoing government shutdown, members of Congress continue to collect their salaries — protected by the Constitution, even as partisan battles over federal funding grind on with no resolution in sight.

The shutdown, which began on October 1, has left hundreds of thousands of families struggling to cover rent, food, and essential bills. At the same time, lawmakers, judges, and political appointees continue to receive pay, deepening frustration among unpaid workers.

As federal workers line up at food banks and special aid programs, lawmakers remain financially insulated. Some members of Congress have pledged to forgo or donate their salaries, but the gesture offers little comfort to the roughly 1.4 million federal employees who have seen their income halted.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Nicole Jones, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee of 10 years, during a food drive at Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio. “We serve our country — and now we’re begging for groceries.”

President Donald Trump has ordered limited relief measures to cushion some sectors from the financial fallout. Just days before the 2 million active-duty and reserve military personnel were due to miss their paychecks, the White House authorized $8 billion from Pentagon research and development funds to cover October’s mid-month payroll.

However, officials admit the money will not stretch to the next pay cycle at the end of October.

The administration has also ensured that FBI agents and 70,000 Homeland Security law enforcement officers — including personnel from Customs and Border Protection, ICE, and the Secret Service — continue to receive paychecks. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the decision on X (formerly Twitter).

Under the Constitution, Supreme Court justices, federal judges, and members of Congress are guaranteed salaries regardless of shutdowns. Senate-confirmed appointees and other select officials also remain on payroll.

Meanwhile, about 830,000 federal workers are still being paid through funding mechanisms outside the annual budget — including allocations from the Inflation Reduction Act and other standing appropriations.

Who Doesn’t

The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that roughly 730,000 federal employees are working without pay, while another 670,000 have been furloughed. Agencies have been forced to adjust as the crisis deepens — with the IRS initially planning to pay all of its 74,000 workers, only to furlough nearly half last week.

Even Senate staffers have been told they will not receive pay until the shutdown ends, and the judicial branch has begun furloughing non-essential workers as its funds run dry.

Federal contractors — from cleaners to cafeteria staff — have been laid off entirely, with no legal guarantee of compensation once the shutdown ends.

Traditionally, all federal workers receive back pay once a shutdown is resolved. That policy was made law in 2019, signed by then-President Trump. But the current administration is now reportedly reconsidering its interpretation, suggesting furloughed employees may not qualify.

The move has triggered outrage from unions and public sector advocates, who say it could permanently strip thousands of families of lost income.

As Washington remains gridlocked, the crisis continues to hit hardest on those least able to afford it. “We’re pawns in a political game,” said one furloughed federal worker. “They’re still getting paid while we can’t feed our kids.”