Cost of US government shutdown - $54 billion

The record-breaking 43-day shutdown of the US government has cost the economy billions of dollars.

According to visualcapitalist.com, more than a million federal employees have not been paid for more than six weeks, limiting their ability to spend. At the same time, approximately $2 billion in food stamp (SNAP) payments were delayed during this six-week period, affecting 40 million people.

The estimated cost of the US government shutdown, based on analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, shows that delays in compensation reached $16 billion over a six-week period. In total, 730,000 federal employees worked without being paid, while 670,000 were on temporary unemployment. Many air traffic controllers have been looking for other jobs during the government shutdown, with the industry already facing a shortage of 3,903 fully certified workers before the shutdown.

Delayed spending on goods and services totaled $36 billion, the largest category of the estimated $54 billion total. For example, the shutdown forced the Small Business Administration to halt federal loan guarantees worth $170 million per day, affecting at least 8,300 small businesses.

Given these disruptions, the shutdown is estimated to reduce real U.S. GDP by $28 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025. For the tourism industry alone, spending fell by about $5 billion.

Recall that on November 13, US President Donald Trump signed the law that ended the longest federal government shutdown in history. This regulatory act ensures government funding until January 30, providing a temporary reprieve before a new round of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on the budget.

The White House said: "The government is reopening, employees are returning to work, and Americans will once again receive the services they need." In the opinion of the US President, the end of the US budget paralysis represents a "very big victory" for Republicans.

Despite the resumption of activity, US authorities have warned that it is not clear how quickly all public services will be restored.

According to economists' estimates, the government shutdown has reduced the US Gross Domestic Product by more than a tenth of a percentage point each week, losses that could only be partially recovered in the coming months.