UNITED STATES
A new report claims that the longest partial Government shutdown in American history, instigated by President, Donald Trump in late 2018, has had lasting negative effects on the Federal workforce.
Mr Trump tried to use the shutdown as leverage to secure funds for his border wall with Mexico.
However, the report from the non-profit Partnership for Public Service said it resulted in a steep decline in morale among Federal workers and devastated the Government’s recruiting capabilities.
The shutdown, which began just before Christmas last year and lasted 35 days, shuttered most of the Government’s discretionary operations and left around 800,000 Federal employees without continuous pay.
As the workers were furloughed, many critical Government operations ground to a halt.
As examples, the Food and Drug Administration discontinued food safety inspections and Immigration Court hearings were routinely cancelled.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that US$11 billion (A$16.3 billion) in potential economic growth was sapped from the economy due to the budgetary stand-off.
Ultimately, the impasse ended without the extraordinary multi–billion-dollar border package Mr Trump had demanded from Congress as part of any spending deal.
Mr Trump eventually declared a national emergency in an attempt to siphon off funds from other parts of the Government to cobble together the budget for his wall, but the impacts of the historic shutdown have endured despite its resolution almost a year ago.
“The Federal Government as a whole is finding it hard to attract a new generation to serve, a problem exacerbated by the 35-day shutdown and a healthy job market that offers many opportunities to people,” the Partnership for Public Service report said.
“Currently, just 6 per cent of all permanent, full-time Federal employees are under the age of 30 — a decline from 9 per cent during this decade.”
It said in comparison, about 21 per cent of all private sector employees were under the age of 30.
Washington, DC, 3 October 2019
