Furloughed federal workers file for jobless benefits, but aid isn't easy to get
Source: CNN Politics
PUBLISHED Oct 25, 2025, 11:09 AM ET
Right after setting her out-of-office email on October 1, one furloughed US Department of Agriculture worker filed for unemployment benefits to help her pay for food, rent and other necessities during the federal government shutdown.
More than three weeks later, her application is still listed as pending – forcing her to borrow from family and friends as the impasse continues with no end in sight. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance told her she may have to wait up to three months to receive her first payment, though she will receive a lump sum for all the missed weeks of claims. “But that doesn’t help me now,” said the worker, who asked for anonymity for fear of retaliation. “The rent is due on November 1.”
The USDA staffer is among the nearly 20,600 furloughed federal employees who have filed for unemployment benefits during the first three weeks of the shutdown, according to Andrew Stettner, director of economy and jobs at The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank. Initial jobless claims for federal workers have soared to their highest level since the record 35-day shutdown that ended in January 2019.
That compares to 635 initial claims filed by federal workers for the week ending September 13, according to the most recent data published by the US Department of Labor before the impasse. Maryland and Texas have the highest number of initial claims, with more than 3,100 filings each, said Stettner, who analyzed unemployment data filed in 49 states and territories.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/25/politics/furloughed-federal-workers-unemployment-claims
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