USDA, FAA, Forest Service Furlough Over 65,000 Amid Government Shutdown

The 2025 U.S. government shutdown has led to significant furloughs across multiple federal agencies. The USDA is furloughing over 42,000 employees, roughly half its workforce, affecting many face-to-face roles with farmers and pausing key services in the Farm Service Agency and other segments, while maintaining essential food safety operations through the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The Forest Service plans to furlough approximately 12,744 employees, with shutdown activities on vast national forest lands potentially taking up to five days to implement. The Department of Transportation is furloughing over 12,000 workers, primarily impacting the FAA, which anticipates furloughing 11,322 employees, raising concerns of flight delays and disruptions that could cost the travel economy around $1 billion weekly. Meanwhile, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will continue operations unaffected due to alternate funding. These furloughs reflect the broad operational and economic impacts of the shutdown across critical federal functions.