Mark, a seasoned federal employee with over 20 years of experience, has endured numerous government shutdowns triggered by congressional deadlocks over budget approvals, often resulting in unpaid furloughs for many federal workers.
Yet, this latest shutdown has become a pivotal moment for Mark, who has decided to step away from his government role.
Choosing to withhold his last name, Mark described this shutdown as unlike any he has encountered before, pointing to what he views as a targeted effort by the Trump administration to delegitimize layoffs-thousands-white-house/” title=”US … Looms: White House Warns of Thousands of Federal Job Cuts – Live Updates”>federal employees, casting doubt on their worthiness-a sentiment foreign to his previous federal tenure.
This shutdown follows earlier sweeping cuts to the federal workforce, initiated during Elon Musk’s tenure aligned with President Trump, which saw tens of thousands of federal employees laid off under White House directives.
President Trump has consistently criticized the federal bureaucracy, branding it as bloated and inefficient.
Now in his 50s and experienced in managing museum budgets, Mark is actively exploring career opportunities outside the federal government.
“I believe there are more promising avenues outside the federal system where I can still make a meaningful impact,” he explained.
The shutdown commenced on October 1 after Republicans, led by Trump, and Democrats failed to agree on a stopgap funding bill to maintain government operations.
Essential federal workers, such as air traffic controllers, are mandated to continue their duties without immediate pay, while hundreds of thousands of others face furloughs, effectively unpaid suspensions.
“It’s a discouraging reality,” Mark shared, having recently participated in a career transition workshop tailored for furloughed employees adjusting to unexpected downtime.
Johan Hernandez, a young employee at the Census Bureau also furloughed, described his approach as taking life “one day at a time.”
Nicole Garcia, whose responsibilities at the State Department have been paused, expressed her frustration with the shutdown but acknowledged the unexpected benefit of having more time to accompany her son to school.
– Enduring Compounded Struggles –
Another furloughed worker from the Small Business Administration successfully arranged a temporary mortgage payment suspension with their lender.
This individual, like many others who wished to remain anonymous, commented on the growing challenges of federal employment since Trump’s return to the presidency in January.
Russell Vought, the White House budget director known for orchestrating major federal workforce reductions, has openly boasted about causing “traumas” among civil servants.
Earlier this year, under Musk’s leadership of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), widespread layoffs swept through federal agencies.
Some employees were encouraged to resign voluntarily, while others were reassigned to nearly shuttered departments, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development.
With the current shutdown, the federal workforce is bracing for another round of layoffs, which the White House has confirmed is already in progress.
Emily Abraham, a veteran diplomat with postings in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and the Dominican Republic, was laid off during the summer but anticipated receiving pay through November.
Now furloughed due to the shutdown, she finds herself without income while awaiting formal termination-a predicament she describes as being “double off” work status.
“I’m neither working nor getting paid,” Abraham lamented.
Supporting three daughters and juggling ongoing expenses like mortgage and car payments, she is willing to accept any available employment.
Abraham noted that Washington’s job market is saturated with former government workers seeking new roles.
“I know several former senior diplomats who have turned to driving for ride-share companies like Uber or Lyft while hunting for new jobs,” she revealed.