8,000 Long Island Workers Furloughed

John Mitty Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Thanks to the government shutdown, around 8,000 federal employees on Long Island have been placed on furlough, and will be going indefinitely without work or pay until the budgetary matter is resolved on Capitol Hill.  The majority of the employees on Long Island who are suffering work in auxiliary roles or provide clerical support.  If the furlough only continues for several days, the impact on the local economy will probably be minimal.  But if the furlough continues for weeks or longer, it will have an adverse effect on Long Island as a whole.  Not only will the federal workers and their families be affected, but also local businesses, since those workers will no longer have money to spend. 

Some federal employees on Long Island still are able to work.  Transportation Security Administration agents, mail carriers, air traffic controllers, military employees, and law enforcement officers are still pulling shifts.  Some federal court employees also are still able to collect a paycheck, but others are on furlough.  The Social Security Agency likewise is partially operational and partially shut down.  Right now, there is no indication as to how long the furlough can be expected to go on.  And with the current economic climate, there are not a lot of alternatives out there for federal workers in search of other means of employment.

jmitty@longislandyellowpages.com

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