Shutdown Means TSA Agents Could Work Busy Holidays With No Pay

It’s official. As of the stroke of midnight Saturday, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are being furloughed during the government shutdown, but for many, it will mean working without pay.

According to data from the Senate Appropriations Committee , more than 420,000 will be punching the clock while their salaries are suspended. Roughly 53,000 of them belong to the Transportation Security Administration, which is responsible for ensuring safety at transit hubs as part of the Homeland Security department.

Factor in the upcoming holidays, and it’s clear agents will be working at airports and train stations packed with travelers for Christmas and potentially even New Year’s, depending on how long the shutdown lasts.

But TSA employees won’t be the only ones still on the job. Correctional officers, law enforcement and Customs and Border Protection and Coast Guard staff will also remain at work. During past shutdowns, these employees who’ve been deemed essential have been paid for their service, but not until a later date.

The 380,000 federal workers who will be furloughed are within the Department of Commerce, NASA, the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and the Internal Revenue Service.