So there’s been a lot of talk about what will happen on March 4th if the government doesn’t pass a budget. Well I’m no expert but I can tell you there will be a shutdown and also that the world will not end but it will probably suck a a little more.

While I’m no expert the good folks over at the Washington Post kind of are and have complied a bunch of fast facts and figures to guide you through the possible shutdown and what could be popping up.

Government shutdown: Facts and Figures

Here’s an excerpt of some of the facts that the post runs through:

How many federal workers are impacted by shutdowns?

The first Clinton-era government shutdown led to the furlough of about 800,000 federal employees, according to CRS. The second shutdown furloughed about 284,000 federal employees. An untold number of federal contractors were also impacted. The federal government doesn’t track the number of contractors employed by agencies.

How long do shutdowns last?

Six shutdowns occurred between fiscal year 1977 and fiscal year 1980, ranging from eight to 17 full days, according to the report. From fiscal 1981 to 1995, nine shutdowns occurred, lasting no longer than three full days.

In fiscal 1996, the first budget impasse led to a five-day shutdown from Nov. 13-19, 1995. The second shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, stretched 21 days from Dec. 15, 1995 to Jan. 6, 1996.

There’s a lot more details in the full article so if you are worried about the shutdown… and I know you are clicking over would be a good choice.

Personally how would a shutdown affect you?

************************************************************************************************

“Daily Dose of the Washington Post” is a blog series created by GovLoop in partnership with The Washington Post. If you see great stories in the Post and want to ask a question around it, please send them to[email protected].

Previous Daily Dose Posts: