SALT LAKE CITY — With the government shutdown leaving thousands of Utah workers furloughed and uncertain about their next paycheck, now is the time to focus on what you can do to stay financially afloat, protect your career, and plan for the road ahead.
The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. EST on Wednesday following Congressional leaders failing to reach a funding deal, marking the first shutdown since 2019.
During the shutdown, federal workers, including those in Utah, could be furloughed or, as President Donald Trump has threatened, laid off.
Who is still working?
Workers deemed essential, including members of the military, will have to work without receiving their normal paycheck. Those workers will receive back pay once the government reopens, but there's no saying exactly how long the shutdown might last.
Other agencies will be impacted differently during the shutdown. The IRS plans to use funds from the Inflation Reduction Act to cover employee pay for a few days. Other agencies will operate with only "essential" workers.
I was furloughed. When should I file for unemployment?
The Utah Department of Workforce Services advises furloughed workers to hold off until their first day off the job to file for unemployment benefits.
Officials shared that past experience has shown that budgets can be passed shortly after funding expires, but before the new workweek begins, which would make filing unnecessary. The department says that workers should wait until they miss a day of work to ensure they don't file when it isn't needed.
I'm a temporary furlough. Am I eligible for unemployment benefits?
Utah state officials say that as long as furloughed employees meet other eligibility requirements, they should be eligible for unemployment benefits.
As a general rule, the Unemployment Insurance program considers federal employees who are furloughed during a government shutdown as "unemployed through no fault of your own and available to return to work."
However, eligibility is decided on a case-by-case basis, and the Unemployment Insurance Division will then determine application eligibility. The Department of Workforce Services stresses that there is no benefit to filing on the day that funding expires, as workers in the program will still begin processing during the normal work week.
Do I have to supply 18 months of pay stubs or an SF-8/SF-50 to file an unemployment claim?
Officials explained that providing pay stubs or federal separation documents does help in processing claims faster. But due to the government shutdown, it might be more difficult to confirm earnings from federal jobs.
While not having those documents can slow down the processing of your claim, furloughed employees don't have to have them when you first file.
To help speed up the process, gather and upload the last pay stub for the following months and years, which should be done as soon as possible, as the shutdown might restrict access to the documents.
- March 2024
- June 2024
- September 2024
- December 2024
- March 2025
- June 2025
I have to keep working full-time during the shutdown without pay. Am I eligible for unemployment benefits?
Essential workers who are working full-time and without pay can file a claim to be reviewed. Officials say that they will review applications and decide depending on the situations and claim details.
The department asks that workers report if they worked and any wages that were earned, even if they haven't been paid yet. That will allow them to notify employees of eligibility as soon as possible.
If I get unemployment during the shutdown, will I have to repay what was given during the furlough?
If you are a federal worker who gets unemployment insurance while the government is shut down, and then you get back pay from your employer for those weeks, you will have to pay back the unemployment insurance benefit.
Officials say that because unemployment insurance is meant to help those who are temporarily out of work, when you get back pay for the time you were working, you must return it.
Do I have to search for a job while being furloughed?
No, federal employees who are out of work as a result of a federal government shutdown are considered "job-attached" and do not need to do a job search during the furlough.
When filing, workers are encouraged to mark that they are "job-attached" and request a 10-week deferral for the job search requirement.
