(Des Moines) About 1,400 Iowa workers are currently going without pay amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Governor Kim Reynolds said this week that roughly 700 state employees and 700 members of the Iowa National Guard have not received paychecks since the shutdown began earlier this month. Her comments followed an announcement from Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) that several dozen employees have been furloughed due to the stalemate in Congress.
According to Reynolds, some affected workers have been fully furloughed, while others are working part-time, approximately two days a week. IWD Director Beth Townsend has indicated that unemployment claims and payments are not expected to be disrupted, though it remains unclear whether furloughed employees will receive back pay once Congress reaches an agreement to reopen the government.
Reynolds called the situation “sad,” saying it’s unfortunate that the political gridlock in Washington is directly affecting Iowans.
