How many federal employees were furloughed during the 2025 shutdown?

1. Numbers matter — which totals are we quoting?

Government and think‑tank tallies converged around two headline figures: “at least 670,000” furloughed and about 730,000 working without pay, a summary used by the Bipartisan Policy Center and reiterated in reporting that examined agency contingency plans ^{[1] [2]}. Lawfare and some other outlets reported a lower banner figure—“more than 620,000” furloughed—reflecting different snapshots and methods for compiling agency notices ^[3]. These variations are not contradictions so much as different counting windows, agency updates and definitions of who counts as “furloughed.” ^{[1] [3]}

2. Why counts diverge: timing, agency methods, and definitions

Agencies issued staggered notices, used phased furloughs, and periodically rescinded or expanded furlough lists as carryover funds were consumed; GSA’s phased approach and rolling notices exemplified this dynamic, causing headcounts to change over days and weeks ^{[4] [5]}. OMB/OPM guidance and agency contingency plans also rely on differing baseline workforce figures and legal distinctions between “excepted” work and furloughs, creating unavoidable counting gaps across sources ^{[6] [7]}.

3. Which agencies drove the furlough totals?

Some agencies reported unusually large furlough moves: for example, the NNSA furloughed about 1,400 employees—its majority workforce—a notable agency‑level example included in nonprofit analyses ^[8]. Broadly, agencies that lack alternative funding sources or whose carryover balances were quickly exhausted drove the majority of furloughs; detailed agency-by-agency tallies are embedded in contingency plans that analysts aggregated to reach the 670,000 figure ^{[1] [2]}.

4. Human consequences and payback politics

During the 43‑day shutdown, millions of paychecks were interrupted and nearly $14 billion in wages were withheld by mid‑November according to BPC’s analysis of pay periods and agency reporting; the scale amplified calls for retroactive pay and immediate OPM action once appropriations resumed ^{[1] [2]}. OPM guidance and agency statements after the lapse emphasized retroactive pay for both furloughed and excepted employees, but agencies and legal offices debated the mechanics and timing—another source of workplace uncertainty ^{[9] [5]}.

5. The role of administration policy and contingency planning

Pre‑shutdown guidance from the administration and OPM shaped how many workers would be furloughed: some planning estimated around 550,000 furloughs under administration plans, while OMB and CBO modeling offered broader ranges ^{[10] [1]}. The Partnership for Public Service and other observers noted that evolving funding mechanisms and policy choices (including carryover, revolving funds, and direction on excepted work) materially affected who remained on payroll during the lapse ^{[11] [7]}.

6. What the public debate often misses

Counting differences obscure an important constant: whether counted as furloughed or working without pay, roughly 1.4 million federal employees experienced immediate financial disruption (combining the cited furloughed and unpaid excepted workers), and the operational consequences—backlogs, slowed services, and morale damage—were widely reported ^{[1] [2]}. Available sources do not mention a single, definitive governmentwide tally produced in a uniform fashion at one moment; instead, analysts relied on aggregated agency contingency plans and evolving notices ^{[1] [2]}.

7. Final context and caveats for readers

Readers should treat any single headline number as a snapshot: “at least 670,000” furloughed is the most commonly cited, contemporaneous aggregate in policy reporting and agency plan reviews, but lower and higher counts appear in reputable outlets depending on timing and methodology ^{[1] [3]}. Limitations are clear in the sources: phased furloughs, rescissions and differing definitions made a single, immutable count impossible during the shutdown ^{[4] [12]}.