By Tami Luhby, Angélica Franganillo Díaz

(CNN) — 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.

More workers are expected to file for unemployment compensation in the coming weeks since many missed their first full paychecks on Friday and more will do so in coming days.

Unlike in previous shutdowns, many are concerned that they may not receive back pay or have a job to go back to after the shutdown ends. The Trump administration has called into question a 2019 law that guarantees retroactive compensation for furloughed workers and has tried to lay off more than 4,000 workers during the impasse. (A federal judge recently paused the administration’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce during the shutdown.)

Still, only a small share of the estimated 670,000 furloughed federal employees have applied for jobless benefits. There are multiple reasons why most of them don’t file claims, including the hassle in having their wages verified, the delay in getting payments and the fact that they’ll have to repay the benefits once the shutdown ends and they receive their back pay.

Plus, the benefits are only a fraction of what many federal workers receive in compensation. The maximum weekly payment in Washington, DC, is $444, $430 in Maryland and only $378 in Virginia, for instance.

Extra steps needed

The Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees program is similar to traditional state jobless benefits, but it differs in significant ways that could delay getting money into the hands of furloughed staffers.

State unemployment offices have the wage records of private-sector employers, but they don’t have that information for the federal government. So, the states must contact the federal agencies to verify the employment and salary for each claimant. But many of the workers who would handle such requests have been furloughed themselves, said Stettner, who also served as a senior US Department of Labor official in the Biden administration.

“Federal workers should apply for unemployment benefits. They don’t know how long the shutdown is going to be,” he said, noting it’s akin to an interest-free loan. “But it’s really, really hard. There are a lot of barriers.”

Some states are trying to smooth the process for furloughed workers. Washington’s Employment Security Department, which has had more than 1,800 federal employees file for benefits, held a webinar earlier this week that drew nearly 500 participants and is offering another one next week. Maryland’s Department of Labor has a webpage specifically for furloughed federal staffers and contractors. Utah’s Department of Workforce Services posted an FAQ for affected federal employees on its site.

Frustrating experiences

Ben Emmel, a senior analyst at the Government Accountability Office, decided to file for unemployment benefits two weeks ago, but the Maryland resident was only able to submit his application on Friday because he had to resolve an identity verification issue first.

Several of his colleagues around the country have also had problems filing claims, said Emmel, who is president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers Local 1921.

Even when he gets the benefits, the weekly payment will only cover a trip or two to the grocery store for Emmel, who is married with four young children.

Federal employees aren’t the only ones being hit hard by the shutdown. Many contractors who work for federal agencies have also been furloughed, although they don’t have the same guarantee of getting their back pay that federal staffers do.

Contractors can also run into issues filing for jobless benefits. Sharon, a contractor for the Drug Enforcement Administration, visited a Washington, DC, unemployment office after having difficulty applying online. After waiting in line, she still didn’t get clear answers about her eligibility or next steps.

“I’m super frustrated,” she said.

The-CNN-Wire
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