The 43-day US government shutdown has officially ended, but federal workers and key agencies now face a slow, chaotic return to normal operations, and another potential shutdown is just weeks away.

While President Donald Trump signed a funding deal late Wednesday to reopen agencies through January 30, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are walking into backlogs, damaged systems, staffing shortages, and missed paychecks that could take days or weeks to resolve.

A Workforce Returning to Chaos

Employees across federal agencies told CNN they are returning to overflowing inboxes, delayed cases, stalled research, and, in some departments, padlocked buildings.
Many agencies were already understaffed after months of hiring freezes and job cuts, a situation worsened by the shutdown.

  • CDC staff expect a heavy backlog of discrimination and health-related cases.
  • FDA labs will take time to restart food-safety testing and equipment maintenance.
  • IRS workers anticipate two to three months of delays as piles of unopened mail and tax filings accumulate.

“There’s no back to normal,” said Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service. “It’s like returning to your house after a hurricane, with another storm on the horizon.”

Air Travel Disruptions Could Last for Years

The shutdown deepened an already severe shortage of US air traffic controllers.
Transportation officials say:

  • The system is now 3,000 controllers short.
  • Retirement-aged controllers left at nearly five times the normal daily rate.
  • Rebuilding staffing and modernizing FAA infrastructure may take years, not months.

Federal Workers Still Waiting for Pay

Roughly 1.4 million federal employees have missed two full paychecks.
Back pay should be processed within several days, but experts warn that furloughed HR staff and multiple federal pay systems could slow the process.

“Until we get paid, everyone is still dealing with the same stress,” said one GAO employee.

Safety-Net Programs and Grants Delayed

Programs supporting vulnerable Americans were hit hard:

  • SNAP food benefits for 42 million people are delayed, with some states issuing partial payments.
  • LIHEAP energy assistance funding may take 30+ days to restart after HHS staff layoffs.
  • Head Start programs serving 65,000 children could take two weeks to reopen.

Economic Data Disappeared — Possibly Forever

Key US economic indicators were never collected during the shutdown:

  • No official September or October jobs report
  • No Q3 GDP estimate
  • White House says October unemployment data may never be released

This leaves the Federal Reserve operating in the dark ahead of its December meeting.

Federal Employees Are Leaving

Job-search platforms say sign-ups from federal workers jumped 74% during the shutdown, with thousands now considering state and local government roles instead.

“This has been the worst six weeks I can remember,” said one USDA employee. “I cannot afford to go through this again.”

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