The U.S. government shutdown that went into effect at midnight on Wednesday will have a major impact on federal employees — including hundreds of thousands of employees who will be furloughed. The New York Times estimates that work could be suspended for more than 580,000 federal employees while the government is shut down. In addition, many others are required to report to their jobs — without pay — until funding is restored.
Government shutdowns are not necessarily uncommon. This latest one is the 21st shutdown over the past 49 years, NBC News reported. Most have lasted only a few days. However, the longest shutdown (34 days) occurred in December of 2018 — during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
