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President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 26, 2025, en route to attend the Ryder Cup.
AFP via Getty Images
We’re entering the second week of the government shutdown, and federal workers’ pay appears to be at risk.
A new memo from the Office of Management and Budget, first reported by Axios, says that federal workers might not receive back pay for days they have been furloughed, a practice established in the Guaranteed Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 during the last shutdown that took place during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The White House argues that in order for the workers to get paid, Congress must designate funds specifically for that purpose, an interpretation contested by many. Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., called it “another baseless attempt to try and scare” federal workers.
This comes on the heels of threats of mass firings from the White House last week. Since then, unions representing federal workers have asked a federal judge to block any mass firings during the shutdown in an emergency filing.
In more shutdown news, hundreds of TSA agents are calling in sick as they enter their second week of work without pay. Considered “essential workers,” TSA agents are continuing to work but won’t receive on-time paychecks. They are scheduled to receive a partial paycheck on Friday, and if the shutdown continues, the first missed check would come on October 24.
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DEEP DIVE: What Happened To September Jobs Data?
The ongoing government shutdown means the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not publish its usual monthly jobs report last week. But data from private research firms can help fill the gap.
Wall Street investors, Federal Reserve economists and employers around the country woke up on Friday to no new jobs report. Because of the government shutdown that began at the start of the month, the Department of Labor did not release its monthly look at the labor market.
But absent government data, other signs continue to point to a cooling labor market. For one, the private sector shed more jobs in September than any month in the past two years, according to a report by payroll firm ADP. September saw private-sector payrolls decrease by 32,000, while August’s revised totals shifted from an increase of 54,000 jobs to a loss of 3,000.
It’s part of the “low hire, low fire” narrative playing out in the market, which makes it tough for unsatisfied employees who are looking for new work as well as unemployed job seekers.
Yes, layoffs slowed in September, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, easing some of the fears among the workforce. But hiring plans are also stagnant, with employers planning to hire just 204,939 employees for this year, the lowest year-to-date total since 2009.
All types of workers are struggling to find employment this year, including seasonal workers. Retailers traditionally hire more part-time employees during the end of the year as they prepare for the holiday season. But this year retailers are slowing their hiring, and are expected to add fewer than 500,000 jobs in the fourth quarter. That would mark the weakest holiday hiring activity in 16 years, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
TOUCH BASE
News from the world of work.
Looking for the most leisurely place to retire? Forbes analyzed 1,000 locales in the U.S., accounting for everything from climate change to the availability of primary care doctors, to find the 25 Best Places To Enjoy Your Retirement.
In addition to President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, the administration has also proposed to shift the rules of the visa lottery to favor older skilled workers, which would hurt not just foreign employees but also universities. Forbes’ Janet Novack reports on the 25 schools that would take the biggest hit to their foreign staff hiring and graduate student recruitment.
After moving to New York City’s Upper East Side as a child, Herriot Tabuteau grew up just blocks away from some of the country’s largest hospitals, which inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. But after seeing the burnout that his physician professors experienced while he attended med school, Tabuteau turned down a neurosurgery residency and took up a job in Wall Street. Now, the founder of Axsome Therapeutics is a billionaire thanks in part to his 15% stake in the $6.1 billion company.
Frank Bisignano will now serve double duty as head of the Social Security Administration and as “CEO” of the IRS, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The IRS CEO—instead of the traditional IRS commissioner—is a newly created position that will manage and oversee the day-to-day operations of the tax agency, Kelly Phillips Erb reports.
As more companies ask workers to return to the office, many employers are struggling with compliance, according to new reports. But in a win for in-office advocates, workers in Europe say they are not willing to take a pay cut to work from home, Bloomberg reports.
NUMBER TO NOTE
4 in 10
That’s how many physicians now have a side gig, according to a new survey. The increase comes as burnout increases and doctors are beholden to rigid pay structures and limited career growth.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsoRSCXLrfg
Why Every Great CEO Is A ‘Prompter’ (And You Should Be Too)
QUIZ
Which of the following is one of the reasons the most effective leaders are also the “laziest?”
A. They build teams that don’t need them
B. They protect their time to think
C. They focus on outcomes, not optics
D. All of the above
Check if you got it right here.