Furloughed Federal Workers Struggle: Seeking Unemployment Amid Government Shutdown

Sat Nov 01 2025 22:10:45 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Amid the ongoing government shutdown, thousands of federal workers like Imelda Avila-Thomas face financial hardship as they navigate the unemployment compensation system with hurdles and delays.

With the government shutdown now spanning over two weeks, federal workers are grappling with significant financial strain. Imelda Avila-Thomas, who works for the Department of Labor, struggles to secure unemployment benefits amid bureaucratic challenges. The shutdown has left many federal employees uncertain about their financial future, relying on limited state unemployment assistance while some continue to work without pay.

For over two weeks during the government shutdown, Imelda Avila-Thomas has been attempting to obtain unemployment compensation to cover essential expenses such as food and mortgage payments for her family while she’s on unpaid furlough from her federal government job.

Despite providing proof-of-income documents after persistent inquiries, Avila-Thomas, an employee of the Department of Labor in San Antonio, has faced a system that still categorizes her as ineligible, unable to verify her wages, leading her to question if those who could assist her have also been furloughed.

As a mother of a 12-year-old and a local union leader, Avila-Thomas represents the growing number of furloughed federal workers navigating an increasingly complicated unemployment system. Recent data from the Bipartisan Policy Center shows a sharp rise in unemployment claims, with 26,000 federal employees filing during the period from September 28 to October 18.

Avila-Thomas has worked for the Labor Department for 16 years. While her husband, a disabled veteran working for the Department of Veterans Affairs, continues to work with compensation, their family has begun to cut back, resorting to food banks for support and sacrificing necessary educational assistance for their dyslexic daughter.

“This would cover that — the essential basics,” Avila-Thomas shared regarding the unemployment aid. “In an ideal world, everybody would have savings. The reality is that most workers are reaching a breaking point due to the loss of income.”

With varying state unemployment benefits affecting all furloughed workers and difficulties in verifying employment, including potential conflicts of interest for those still actively working without pay, many federal employees find themselves in a precarious situation. The federal workforce, a significant portion of which is still taking unpaid leave, is waiting for clarity as the government shutdown continues to persist.