White House Cautions of Imminent Layoffs Amid Prolonged Government Shutdown

White House Cautions of Imminent Layoffs Amid Prolonged Government Shutdown

The White House has announced that mass layoffs of US federal workers will start within two days, as lawmakers exchange blame over the impending first government shutdown in nearly seven years.

The shutdown commenced on Wednesday as Republicans and Democrats in Congress were unable to reach an agreement on a new spending plan before the midnight deadline.

Both sides show minimal willingness to compromise, as evidenced by a vote to end the shutdown failing just hours after it started.

Since the Senate has adjourned, concerns have mounted that the shutdown may continue indefinitely, jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of jobs and potentially costing the US economy billions in lost output.