Colorado aids federal workers as shutdown hits week three

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

Colorado is taking steps to assist its over 50,000 federal employees as the government shutdown enters its third week.

While not all of those employees are impacted by the shutdown, many are furloughed. That means they are temporarily not working or getting paid.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment has made available a number of resources to those affected. Because they are considered by the state “job attached,” they are not required to complete work search activities during their furlough.

Those employees can receive unemployment benefits. Yet because they will receive back pay once the federal government reopens, they are required to repay those benefits at that time.

That does not apply to federal contractors.

Throughout the nation, an estimated 700,000 federal employees are currently on furlough. Many of those just recently missed their first paycheck since the shutdown began.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the state are pointing the blame at each other for the ongoing shutdown, as they are doing nationally.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colorado, gave his perspective on federal employees going unpaid.

“Let me be clear: Federal law enforcement and air traffic controllers — workers vital to public safety — are being denied a paycheck because 99% of Democrats voted to shut the government down over a clean bill they previously supported 13 times under the Biden administration,” Evan said on Wednesday.

Although Republicans control both the U.S. Senate and House, they need seven Democrats in the Senate to meet the 60-vote requirement to pass a budget and end the government shutdown.

Colorado Democrats are standing united in voting against both the full budget and the Republican-proposed continuing resolution bill, which would temporarily fund the government.

“For the 10th time, Republicans have tried to steamroll Democrats with a partisan budget bill rather than find a way to prevent health care premiums from skyrocketing,” said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado. “For the 10th time, NO.”

It is unclear how overall unemployment in Colorado has been affected by the government shutdown as Colorado’s September 2025 Employment Situation Report will not be released until it reopens.