The continuing government shutdown may hit hard throughout the country, especially in places where federal workers in affected agencies account for a relatively high share of jobs. As a percentage of all workers, federal employees affected by the shutdown are as common in Montana and Alaska as they are in Maryland.

Where the shutdown could

have the biggest impact

Number of federal employees in agencies

affected by the shutdown per 100,000 workers

250

500

1,000

1,500

NH

WA

VT

MT

ME

ND

MN

1,500

OR

MA

WI

ID

SD

NY

RI

WY

MI

CT

IA

PA

NE

NV

OH

NJ

IN

IL

UT

DE

CO

WV

VA

KS

CA

MO

KY

MD

NC

1,569

TN

OK

AZ

AR

NM

SC

MS

GA

AL

AK

D.C.

LA

TX

1,699

12,653

per 100,000

workers

FL

HI

Note: As of June 2018. Map does not include 240,000 workers for whom location was not reported.

Where the shutdown could have

the biggest impact

Number of federal employees in

agencies affected by the shutdown per 100,000 workers

250

500

1,000

1,500

NH

WA

VT

MT

ME

ND

MN

1,500

OR

MA

WI

ID

SD

NY

RI

WY

MI

CT

IA

PA

NE

NV

NJ

OH

IN

IL

UT

DE

CO

WV

VA

KS

CA

MO

KY

MD:

NC

1,569

TN

OK

AZ

AR

NM

SC

D.C.:

MS

GA

AL

12,653

per 100,000

workers

AK

LA

TX

1,699

FL

HI

Note: As of June 2018. Map does not include 240,000 workers

for whom location was not reported.

Where the shutdown could have

the biggest impact

Number of federal employees in agencies

affected by the shutdown per 100,000 workers

250

500

1,000

1,500

NH

WA

VT

MT

ME

ND

MN

1,500

OR

MA

WI

ID

SD

NY

RI

MI

WY

CT

PA

IA

NE

NJ

NV

OH

IN

IL

DE

UT

WV

CO

CA

VA

MD:

KS

MO

KY

1,569

NC

TN

D.C.:

OK

AR

AZ

SC

NM

12,653

per 100,000

workers

GA

AL

MS

AK

LA

TX

1,699

FL

HI

Note: As of June 2018. Map does not include 240,000 workers for whom

location was not reported.

Where the shutdown could have the biggest impact

Number of federal employees in agencies

affected by the shutdown per 100,000 workers

250

500

1,000

1,500

NH

WA

VT

MT

ME

ND

MN

1,500

OR

MA

WI

ID

SD

NY

RI

MI

WY

CT

PA

IA

NE

NJ

NV

OH

IN

IL

DE

UT

WV

CO

CA

VA

MD

KS

MO

KY

1,569

NC

TN

D.C.

OK

AR

AZ

SC

NM

12,653

per 100,000

workers

GA

AL

MS

AK

LA

TX

1,699

FL

HI

Note: As of June 2018. Map does not include 240,000 workers for whom location was not reported.

The top places outside the D.C. area where agency workers affected by the shutdown are most concentrated are Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and Idaho.

[U.S. towns with federal workers brace for impact as the shutdown continues]

While around 75 percent of the government is fully funded, the shuttered federal agencies employ more than 800,000 people who work in all 50 states, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the federal Office of Personnel Management. The total of their reported salaries tops $1.4 billion per week, a reflection of their economic impact.

The federal workers affected reflect a wide variety of jobs and skills. Half of the affected workers do not have college degrees, while one in five have education beyond a bachelor’s degree. The largest part, 45 percent, are categorized as administrative and hold positions such as air traffic controllers, inspectors, IT managers and criminal investigators. Tens of thousands are blue collar workers, including mechanics, cooks and custodians.

Although they typically earn $85,600 a year, almost 111,000 workers make less than $50,000.

Salaries of affected federal workers vary widely

Nearly 14 percent of federal employees affected by the shutdown make less than $50,000 a year.

60,000

employees

0

$30,000

$50,000

$150,000

$300,000

60,000

employees

0

$30,000

$50,000

$150,000

$300,000

60,000

employees

40,000

20,000

0

$30,000

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$300,000

60,000

employees

40,000

20,000

0

$30,000

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$300,000

The affected employees include those who are furloughed and not working at all, as well as essential employees who are still on the job but not getting paid. In past shutdowns, employees received back pay after the government was funded. (Some government contractors have been ordered to stop work on certain contracts. Those employees, not included in this analysis, are less likely to receive back pay.)

The most, more than a quarter million, work in five states (three in the D.C. region and in California and Texas). But as a share of all workers, federal employees affected by the shutdown are as common in Montana and Alaska as they are in Maryland.

Top three agencies with most workers affected in each state

State Agency Number of employees
U.S. overall Total 806,300
Homeland Security 203,700
Justice 114,200
Agriculture 94,000
District of Columbia Total 98,300
Justice 17,400
Homeland Security 14,700
State 8,800
Maryland Total 42,500
Health and Human Services (FDA) 14,300
Commerce 11,800
Treasury 4,400
California Total 42,300
Agriculture 9,900
Treasury 7,600
Interior 5,800
Texas Total 36,300
Treasury 8,900
Homeland Security 5,700
Transportation 4,300
Virginia Total 34,000
Commerce 9,600
Homeland Security 9,100
Interior 3,600
New York Total 17,100
Treasury 4,800
Transportation 2,300
Homeland Security 2,200
Georgia Total 16,200
Treasury 3,700
Transportation 2,600
Agriculture 2,400
Florida Total 16,200
Homeland Security 2,600
Transportation 2,500
NASA 2,000
Colorado Total 15,900
Interior 5,400
Agriculture 3,700
Commerce 1,400
Missouri Total 14,400
Treasury 5,400
Agriculture 3,600
Homeland Security 1,000
Pennsylvania Total 14,200
Treasury 4,800
Justice 1,800
Agriculture 1,400
Arizona Total 13,700
Health and Human Services (IHS) 4,200
Interior 3,700
Agriculture 2,300
Washington Total 11,600
Agriculture 2,800
Transportation 2,200
Interior 1,900
New Mexico Total 10,700
Interior 3,400
Health and Human Services (IHS) 3,200
Agriculture 2,800
Utah Total 10,100
Treasury 5,100
Agriculture 2,000
Interior 1,800
Illinois Total 10,000
Transportation 1,900
Agriculture 1,400
Justice 1,200
Oregon Total 9,800
Agriculture 5,000
Interior 2,800
Commerce 500
Massachusetts Total 8,200
Treasury 2,100
Transportation 1,100
Interior 1,100
Oklahoma Total 7,900
Transportation 3,400
Health and Human Services (IHS) 1,400
Interior 900
North Carolina Total 7,800
Agriculture 1,900
Environmental Protection Agency 1,200
Homeland Security 1,100
Ohio Total 7,300
NASA 1,600
Transportation 1,100
Treasury 1,000
Tennessee Total 7,300
Treasury 3,200
Agriculture 1,200
Transportation 1,000
Montana Total 7,200
Agriculture 3,700
Interior 2,000
Health and Human Services (IHS) 800
Kentucky Total 6,500
Treasury 3,400
Justice 1,000
Agriculture 1,000
West Virginia Total 6,200
Treasury 3,100
Justice 1,100
Agriculture 700
Louisiana Total 6,100
Agriculture 2,200
Homeland Security 1,000
Interior 900
Minnesota Total 6,100
Agriculture 1,700
Transportation 900
Interior 700
Idaho Total 6,000
Agriculture 3,700
Interior 1,800
Transportation 200
Michigan Total 5,800
Agriculture 1,200
Treasury 900
Transportation 700
Alaska Total 5,700
Interior 2,600
Transportation 1,100
Agriculture 900
New Jersey Total 5,600
Transportation 1,700
Homeland Security 1,000
Justice 700
Alabama Total 5,500
NASA 2,300
Agriculture 1,000
Justice 500
Indiana Total 5,300
Commerce 1,800
Transportation 900
Agriculture 700
South Dakota Total 4,400
Health and Human Services (IHS) 1,600
Interior 1,400
Agriculture 1,000
Mississippi Total 3,900
Agriculture 1,600
Justice 500
NASA 400
Kansas Total 3,800
Agriculture 900
Transportation 700
Environmental Protection Agency 500
South Carolina Total 3,700
Agriculture 900
Justice 700
State 600
Wyoming Total 3,700
Interior 2,200
Agriculture 1,100
Health and Human Services (IHS) 100
Arkansas Total 3,500
Agriculture 1,700
Health and Human Services (FDA) 400
Justice 400
Wisconsin Total 3,300
Agriculture 1,500
Interior 700
Commerce 300
Nevada Total 3,200
Interior 1,500
Agriculture 500
Transportation 300
Iowa Total 2,800
Agriculture 1,900
Transportation 200
Treasury 200
Hawaii Total 2,700
Agriculture 700
Interior 600
Commerce 400
Nebraska Total 2,700
Agriculture 1,300
Interior 400
Homeland Security 300
North Dakota Total 2,400
Interior 800
Agriculture 700
Health and Human Services (IHS) 400
New Hampshire Total 2,100
Transportation 700
State 500
Agriculture 400
Vermont Total 1,500
Homeland Security 900
Agriculture 300
Interior 100
Connecticut Total 1,500
Homeland Security 400
Justice 300
Transportation 200
Maine Total 1,200
Interior 400
Agriculture 200
Homeland Security 200
Rhode Island Total 600
Commerce 100
Transportation 100
Homeland Security 100
Delaware Total 500
Agriculture 300
Justice 100
Commerce 100

Kevin Uhrmacher, Brittany Renee Mayes and Reuben Fischer-Baum contributed to this report.

About this story

Statistics for federal employees affected by the shutdown came from a Post analysis of anonymous data from the Office of Personnel Management and of state job data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some agencies are partially affected; for example, the Food and Drug Administration is shuttered, while other parts of the Department of Health and Human Services remain open. Work location and salary were not reported in the data for 29 percent of workers, including most employees in the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice.

Originally published Jan. 5, 2019.

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