Thousands of federal workers in Oregon and Washington remained at home on Thursday as the government shutdown stretched into its second day.

Those furloughed workers, who are not got getting paid during the shutdown, may be able to file for stopgap benefits in both states, officials from the Washington state Employment Security Department and Oregon Employment Department said.

“Federal employees that are furloughed very well may qualify for unemployment benefits,” said Cami Feek, commissioner at the Washington state Employment Security Department.

But workers should prepare to pay back any benefits they receive when the shutdown ends and they eventually receive those federal wages.

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There are approximately 80,000 federal workers in Washington state, according to the agency. Another 30,000 federal government employees work in Oregon, where about a third have likely been impacted by the shutdown, according to that state’s employment department.

“Our mission is to support any workers, employers, and contractors affected by this shutdown,” Andrew Stolfi, the Oregon Employment Department director, said Wednesday in a press release.

Unemployment benefits may be available to both furloughed federal workers and contractors who work with the federal government.

However, federal employees deemed “essential,” who are required to continue working without pay, like Transportation Security Administration staff and air traffic controllers, are not eligible for benefits if they work full-time during the shutdown, according to the Washington employment department.

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The longest shutdown in U.S. history lasted for more than a month in late 2018 and early 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term.

State benefits are intended to help soften the blow of ongoing expenses like mortgage payments and credit card bills.

Feek said federal workers should check their eligibility and apply for benefits as a safeguard in case the shutdown draws out.

“That gets their claim on the books,” she said. “It helps them with the process all being started. So, if this shutdown is extended like it was in 2019, they are all cued up and ready to go.”

Federal employees should receive backpay after the shutdown ends and Congress passes a new funding appropriation. The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 requires the federal government to repay employees after a shutdown.

In that case, state unemployment benefits are treated like a loan for furloughed workers that would have to be paid back. Feek said her agency clarifies the issue of backpay beforehand with any employee submitting a claim for benefits.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/02/washington-oregon-furloughed-federal-workers/