WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors in the DMV region could see themselves without pay if Congress does not agree on a budget deal which would avert a government shutdown by the end of the month.
As federal agencies review plans to determine which employees could be furloughed in the event of shutdown, the D.C. government is also bracing for a possible surge in unemployment claims.
“The Bowser Administration is ready to assist furloughed employees in the event of a federal government shutdown," Melvin Robinson, the Public Information Officer with D.C.'s Department of Employment Services (DOES) told WUSA9 in a statement.
The District agency says furloughed employees should know they are eligible for unemployment insurance the day the government shuts down; in this case Sept. 30 at midnight. That is when DOES says people should start submitting their applications.
"In preparation, the Department of Employment Services recommends that federal workers visit does.dc.gov to check the eligibility criteria for receiving unemployment insurance benefits in the District of Columbia," Robinson added in a statement.
The DMV region has some of the jurisdictions with the highest number of federal employees according to data provided by the Census Bureau.
- District of Columbia- 29.1%
- Arlington County- 11.2%
- Falls Church- 11%
- Prince George's County- 10.8%
- Saint Mary's County- 9.3%
- Alexandria- 8.8%
DOES says unemployment insurance claims must be filed in the jurisdiction where you work and not live which means that the D.C. agency will get the brunt of the impact in case of a shutdown. Even if the person works remotely, they need to file where their office is located.
Employment benefits vary by jurisdiction. Currently the District has a weekly maximum of $444 while Maryland is set at $430 per week and Virginia at $378 per week according to each state's unemployment commission.
Under a 2019 law, federal workers impacted by a government shutdown will be slated to receive backpay once Congress reaches a budget agreement.
The last government shutdown was also the longest at 34 days from late 2018 to early 2019 during the Trump Administration.