The federal government shutdown which began on October 1 has furloughed more than 700,000 federal workers. Communities across the country—including in West Virginia—are now left dealing with the consequences. The state has the third-most federal employees per capita in the nation. Despite this heavy local TDM presence, it is often invisible to yet highly impactful on local residents and economies.
Last Friday, the White House ordered the termination of thousands of federal employees. At the same time, nearly 200,000 “essential” workers risked their lives by reporting to work without any pay. This affects hundreds of employees from the IRS, an agency that had to furlough 34,000 workers during the government shutdown. In particular, the Martinsburg IRS service center is set to be disproportionately impacted by these furloughs. The Martinsburg area alone employs over 3,300 federal workers, so the loss would be particularly devastating for local families.
West Virginia is a particularly economically vulnerable state, heavily dependent on federal jobs and assistance. The state’s economy has already suffered job losses related to the Trump administration’s push to trim the federal workforce. In turn, millions of Americans fear the collapse of their families’ finances with every paycheck still in question.
Local resident Troy Williams told local news crews he was frustrated watching the political stalemate continue.
“This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue,” – Troy Williams
The long-term impact of the shutdown could reach far beyond just chop off individual paychecks. Mark Mulligan, an economist with the firm, sounded alarm bells about the downflow effects for local economies.
“This is a why aren’t they working on a solution issue.” – Troy Williams
Local leaders are beginning to raise a ruckus, highlighting the harm caused by unpaid furloughs. Senator Shelley Moore Capito reminded conference attendees that most of these federal workers are deeply-rooted community members.
“The economic loss could have wide-ranging consequences on local communities, businesses and households. It could cause long-term damage to local economies,” – Mark Mulligan
In the interim, local community events are already starting to feel the impact of the shutdown. The Freedom’s Run Race Series, planned for the start of October, had to reroute its entire course. It moved away from trails near a federal Civil War battlefield memorial due to the shutdown. Likewise, Harper’s Ferry National Park is still open, but is currently running on state dollars to make up for lack of federal resources.
“These are our neighbours and friends – people who keep our miners safe, process veterans’ benefits, secure our borders, and keep drugs out of our communities. They’re now facing uncertainty about their pay cheques through no fault of their own.” – Moore Capito
Local business owners are equally preparing for the impact. Tina Hissam, a West Virginia small business owner, warned that if economic instability struck, households would make drastic cuts to their spending.
Kelly Allen illustrated the specific challenges that West Virginia’s workforce is up against. She noted that there are more federal government employees in her state than there are coal miners. This number really speaks to how many communities are dependent on federal employment and services.
“It hurts the small businesses; they may cancel services, they may not shop locally,” – Tina Hissam
As Friday approaches, evacuees and residents alike are worried. That’s when they hope to get their first post-shutdown checks, keeping them in limbo about their financial futures. That heartbreaking reality drives home what’s at stake with this dangerous political impasse. It also causes deeper fears for the sustainability of the local economies that have come to be dominated by government employment.
As Friday approaches—the date when the first checks since the shutdown are expected—residents remain on edge about their financial futures. The dire situation underscores not only the immediate impacts of political deadlock but also raises questions about the long-term viability of local economies that depend heavily on government employment.