When the world's richest country can't pay employee salaries...

The United States government shutdown has extended beyond its fourth week and has brought the world’s wealthiest nation to an unusual standstill — where hundreds of thousands of its own employees are going unpaid, essential public programmes are running out of funds, and millions of Americans are bracing for mounting economic pain.

What began as a budget standoff between the White House and Congress has now evolved into one of the longest and most disruptive federal shutdowns in US history.

How are the 1.4 million federal workers dealing with no pay?

The shutdown’s most visible impact lies in the plight of federal workers, who have become unintended casualties of political gridlock.

Nearly 730,000 employees are currently working without pay, continuing their duties to keep critical government functions alive.

Another 670,000 have been furloughed, meaning they are not working and will not receive a paycheck unless Congress later approves retroactive compensation.

For those caught in the middle, the situation has grown increasingly dire. Many federal employees, including those from agencies such as Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Internal Revenue Service, have now missed their first full paychecks.

The missed salaries have forced workers into makeshift solutions — taking up side jobs, delivering food, walking dogs, or selling personal possessions to stay financially afloat.

Others have turned to food banks and local charities for groceries and essentials. Some have been calling their creditors, asking for temporary relief, while others have withdrawn funds from their retirement savings or pension plans just to cover rent and bills.

The growing distress among the federal workforce has drawn calls from labor unions and lawmakers to immediately reopen the government.

“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees.

His organisation, the largest union representing federal workers, has demanded that Congress restore normal funding and ensure back pay for all affected employees.

Which programmes are running dry?

As the shutdown enters its fifth week, the consequences are spilling far beyond Washington’s political corridors. A series of federal programmes that millions of Americans rely on daily are now either halted or nearing the end of their funding reserves.

Among the most urgent is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP), which provides food assistance to more than 40 million people across the country.

With no congressional funding in place, the programme is expected to run out of money by Saturday, leaving many low-income families without a safety net.

According to internal government communications cited by officials, the Trump administration has declined to draw from a $5 billion contingency fund to sustain SNAP benefits into November, reported Politico.

That amount falls short of the $9 billion required to fully cover food assistance through the month. At least 25 states have already begun preparations to cut off or reduce benefits in the absence of federal payments.

“The administration is making an intentional choice not to fund SNAP this weekend,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, arguing that the Department of Agriculture’s position contradicts its own previous guidance on using emergency reserves during shutdowns.

The strain also extends to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which supports around 7 million low-income mothers and children with food and health aid.

Earlier in the shutdown, the administration redirected limited funds from school meal programs to keep WIC afloat temporarily. However, those funds are expected to dry up this weekend unless another $300 million in emergency allocations are approved.

Another programme now under threat is Head Start, a cornerstone federal initiative offering early education, healthcare, and nutrition to children from disadvantaged families.

The National Head Start Association estimates that funding for more than 130 programmes — covering 41 states and Puerto Rico and serving roughly 59,000 children — will lapse without immediate intervention.

Many Head Start centres have already begun notifying parents that they may need to close temporarily, resulting in lost wages for teachers and lost childcare for working families.

The Essential Air Service (EAS), a programme that ensures commercial flights to remote and rural areas, is facing a similar shortfall.

Without subsidies from the Department of Transportation, small carriers serving isolated communities, especially in Alaska and the Midwest, are expected to suspend operations.

The department already diverted $42 million earlier this month to avoid immediate disruptions, but that temporary fix is nearing exhaustion.

Airlines have warned that ticket prices could rise sharply, or routes could be discontinued altogether if the programme isn’t restored soon.

How has the US military pay been affected?

While civilian workers await relief, the Trump administration has taken unusual and legally untested steps to prevent a complete collapse of military pay.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump approved payments for active-duty service members by drawing from funds intended for military research and development, redirecting about $6.5 billion to meet payroll.

That stopgap measure ensured that the 1.3 million active-duty service members received their paychecks — temporarily. But it is unclear how sustainable this manoeuvre will be.

The US Defence Department’s remaining discretionary funds are limited, and the next payroll is due this Friday. If no new funding is authorised, even military personnel may begin to miss pay.

In an unexpected twist, Pentagon officials confirmed they had accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million from a wealthy private individual to help meet salary obligations during the shutdown.

The donor’s identity remains undisclosed, and defence officials have not clarified how the funds will be distributed. White House aides have privately acknowledged that while such private contributions can bridge short gaps, they are not a long-term solution.

Meanwhile, civilian employees at the Department of Defence and other agencies are beginning to miss their full pay cycles, including staff in logistics, procurement, and administrative roles.

The administration has been exploring whether it can extend Trump’s earlier military pay model to other essential government functions — such as air traffic control and airport security — but legal and political resistance has made that difficult.

Some lawmakers have proposed piecemeal legislation to ensure that certain employees, such as TSA agents or air traffic controllers, continue to be paid during the shutdown.

However, Senate Democrats have rejected selective funding proposals, arguing that they would allow the administration to decide “who gets paid and who doesn’t,” potentially giving Trump leverage over the shutdown negotiations.

What else has been affected by the shutdown?

At major airports across the country, travel disruptions are growing more frequent as TSA agents and air traffic controllers work without pay.

Absenteeism is rising, leading to longer security lines, delayed flights, and in some cases, cancelled routes.

Aviation experts have warned that prolonged unpaid work among key safety personnel could jeopardise operational efficiency and morale.

During the 35-day partial shutdown in 2018-19, the nation experienced similar challenges, with air traffic controllers calling in sick in protest of unpaid labour, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily close airspace in some regions.

Beyond transportation, the current impasse has also paralysed the healthcare sector in critical ways. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), responsible for managing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, has recalled limited staff to oversee the start of open enrolment on November 1.

However, many Americans have reported issues accessing plan previews and enrolment options, as the Healthcare.gov website initially displayed outdated data from 2025 instead of upcoming 2026 plans.

The delay is significant because millions of Americans rely on the ACA marketplace to purchase insurance. Lawmakers say the confusion reflects the broader paralysis caused by the shutdown.

Democrats in Congress are pushing for legislation to extend federal subsidies that lower premiums for ACA users. Without an extension, insurers are expected to raise premiums substantially next year, reflecting uncertainty about whether the government will continue financial support.

US Senator Tim Kaine stated that Democrats are seeking a comprehensive deal to reopen the government while ensuring the administration cannot mass-fire workers or terminate healthcare subsidies.

“We’ve got to get a deal with Donald Trump,” he said.

However, Republicans maintain that discussions on healthcare should not proceed until the government resumes full operations.

“I’m particularly worried about premiums going up for working families,” said US Senator David McCormick. “So we’re going to have that conversation, but we’re not going to have it until the government opens.”

What is going on in Washington?

Despite rising public frustration, political leaders remain entrenched. Trump, currently on a three-nation Asia tour, has shown no signs of softening his stance.

The White House has focused on preserving key spending priorities, while US House Speaker Mike Johnson has resisted calls to bring lawmakers back to Washington to pass interim funding bills.

Johnson has argued that piecemeal bills to pay select groups of federal workers would “take the pressure off” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats, reducing their incentive to negotiate a broader resolution.

Schumer, meanwhile, accused Republicans of preferring a prolonged shutdown to meaningful compromise.

“The administration is just choosing not to use” available emergency funding for essential programs, he said. “So lowering health care is not a crazy demand.”

In Congress, partisan divisions have deepened over whether to tie funding for government agencies to healthcare reforms.

Democrats have insisted that any spending bill include measures to address soaring health premiums, while Republicans argue that the two issues must remain separate.

The House of Representatives had passed a short-term continuing resolution on September 19, intended to keep the government funded temporarily.

However, the Senate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance it. Since then, no alternative proposal has gained traction.

Even as pressure mounts, some lawmakers continue to urge moderation. US Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has called on her colleagues to “come together” and put aside partisan concerns.

“Right now, those that are losing are the American people,” she said on the Senate floor.

What about the US economy?

Analysts warn that extended disruptions could slow economic growth, particularly through reduced consumer spending, delayed contracts, and lower federal procurement.

The US Treasury Department has not yet reported delays in debt payments or bond operations, but economists caution that prolonged gridlock could rattle financial markets and weaken investor confidence.

The last major shutdown in 2019 resulted in a measurable slowdown in quarterly GDP growth.

International observers note that the shutdown underscores the vulnerabilities of a system that allows partisan disagreements to halt core government functions.

The image of the world’s largest economy unable to pay its own workers has prompted both criticism and disbelief abroad.

At home, the political fallout could be significant. With Thanksgiving approaching, millions of families face uncertainty about food assistance, healthcare, and employment.

The shutdown is also complicating airport operations and border management, both vital for national security and trade.

Despite repeated warnings from economists and lawmakers about the long-term damage, Washington’s stalemate shows few signs of resolution. Both sides appear unwilling to concede ground, even as public pressure builds.

As US Senate Majority Leader John Thune bluntly warned, “Things are about to get worse.”

Unless an agreement is reached soon, the world’s richest nation — home to some of the largest corporations and the most powerful military — could continue to fail in the most basic function of governance: paying its own people.

With inputs from agencies