Government shutdown is now the longest ever. Here’s how it’s impacting state.
The federal government shutdown has entered the record books, becoming the longest such stalemate in history.
Wednesday marked the shutdown’s 36th day, surpassing the previous 35-day benchmark that took place during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Here are some of the ways the shutdown is being felt in Georgia:
Air travel
At the world’s busiest airport, callouts by Transportation Security Administration agents on a few busy weekend days have prompted some security lines to balloon at peak moments. But Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has so far been spared any major disruption from the shutdown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has continued to warn that this could change, particularly when it comes to air traffic control, which is already short-staffed.
Ricky Smith, general manager of the Atlanta airport, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement: “Despite the hardship created by federal employees working without pay, TSA and FAA personnel continue to show extraordinary professionalism to ensure that travelers remain safe and Atlanta stays connected to the world.”
But Atlanta-area air traffic controllers and other FAA employees have recently demonstrated their frustration to passing travelers, urging them to call their politicians to demand action.
Food assistance
Federal money for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits ran dry Saturday. Roughly 1.3 million Georgians — or 1 in 8 people in the state — rely on food stamps.
The Trump administration has said it would obey a federal-court decision and tap emergency funds to make at least partial payments on SNAP benefits. But Trump fueled more uncertainty when he said in a social media post Tuesday that payments would not be made until the shutdown ends.
Gov. Brian Kemp has maintained he will not tap the state’s $14.6 billion rainy day reserve fund to fund the program.
Federal workers
The shutdown has meant no paychecks for most of the more than 100,000 federal workers in Georgia.
The state is home to 106,467 federal employees, which accounts for about 2% of the state’s total nonfarm employment, according to data compiled by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the largest federal employer in metro Atlanta.
Small business
The shutdown has meant small businesses have been unable to access Small Business Administration loans for hiring and expansion. In Georgia that translates into $35 million a week, according to SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler.
The impact has been felt by recipients and lenders.
Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, a Georgia-based community lender that also gives out SBA loans, has been “broadly affected” by the shutdown, the organization’s CEO, Martina Edwards, said in an email to the AJC.
“Currently, the SBA is unable to approve new loans except for disaster loans, leaving SBA lenders and small business owners who were in the pipeline for capital in a holding pattern,” Edwards wrote.
Labor data
The shutdown has not only affected federal departments but also state government agencies and industry groups that rely on federal data.
The U.S. Department of Labor has not published federal jobs data since the start of the shutdown, and that has clouded the picture for economists and policymakers who scour federal data for clues about the state of the economy.
In Georgia, for instance, the state Department of Labor did not publish its September jobs report.
“Because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, Georgia’s monthly statewide labor market report originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, has been postponed until federal funding is restored,” the state labor department said at the time. “We will share additional updates as soon as they become available.”
Staff Writers Mirtha Donastorg, Caleb Groves Ariel Hart, Emma Hurt, J. Scott Trubey contributed to this report.
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