The government shutdown by the numbers — as it becomes tied for the nation’s longest

• The government shutdown has lasted 35 days, tying it for the longest in history.
• Airports, benefits programs, and national parks are among the impacted services.
• Federal workers are either furloughed or working without pay, and are starting to feel the squeeze.

As we inch into November, the government is moving farther and farther up a grim list: the nation’s longest shutdowns.

The government shut down on October 1, affecting everything from food assistance programs to airports and federal employees’ monthly budgets. Shutdowns as we currently know them only began in the early 1980s, and as of Tuesday, November 4, this fall’s is tied for the longest with a 35-day affair in 2018 and 2019.

On average, shutdowns last around eight days. Congress is still deadlocked over Affordable Care Act tax credits that are set to expire soon, but Politico reported that some lawmakers are working on a resolution to end the shutdown that’s touching every corner of the country — and its airspace.

Airport delays

Aviation analytics company Cirium said the first broader shutdown-related delays occurred on Thursday, October 30, with more than 30% of flights across most major airports departing late as controllers continue to work without pay. Cirium defines a late flight as one that leaves 15 minutes or more after the scheduled departure time.

The Department of Transportation said about 65% of the nearly 6,000 delays into, within, or out of the US on Friday were caused by controller staffing. That number was 60% on Saturday and 84% on Sunday. The weekend saw chaos at airports like Nashville and Orlando.

Still, the broad national effects of the shutdown on air travel were relatively muted in October. Bad weather has contributed to the delays, and Cirium said delay rates were only 2 percentage points above September.

But government officials warn that upcoming holiday travel could push things to the brink.

“We’ve seen problems at LA, in Dallas, in DC, Boston, Atlanta, and so I think it’s only going to get worse,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday.

Controllers were already working up to 60 hours a week amid an ongoing staffing shortage, though financial worries may further exacerbate the situation. Airports like Orlando and Los Angeles had to briefly halt traffic last week due to a lack of certified controllers.

Workers calling out of work will likely attribute it to fatigue or illness. During the 2019 shutdown, New York’s LaGuardia airport temporarily closed because controllers called out, which was part of what pressured politicians into ending the 35-day shutdown.

An air traffic controller told Business Insider that they’re seeing some colleagues pick up gig work, and Pete LeFevre, a DC-based controller and union representative, said the topic is a common one in the breakroom.

“We’re all going to be faced with tough decisions,” LeFevre said. “On my one day off, am I going to go and drive for Uber, Uber Eats, Instacart, so I can make my payments?”

NerdWallet travel analyst Sally French previously told Business Insider that airport lines could worsen as TSA agents, who are also working without pay, call out.

She said TSA agents called out en masse, known as the “sickout,” about a month into the 2018-2019 shutdown. The national absentee rate reached 10% at its peak, nearly triple its normal rate of 3%.

And some airports are already seeing history repeat. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, for example, experienced three-hour security delays after agents did not report for work on Monday.

Social Security and SNAP

The shutdown has hit benefits programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which some 42 million Americans rely on to afford groceries.

Before the funding lapse, the US Department of Agriculture said in a memo that the program had enough money to fully fund October’s checks, but benefits would stall on November 1. Federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ruled on October 31 that the Trump administration has to fund food stamps during the shutdown.

In a November 3 court filing, the USDA said it “is complying with the Court’s order and will fulfill its obligation to expend the full amount of SNAP contingency funds today.” The agency said it had authorized states to start distributing benefits and “intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November.”

On November 4, however, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the government will only distribute SNAP benefits once the shutdown ends.

Monthly checks range from $25 to $1,700, depending on a household’s size and income, and the program costs the federal government around $100 billion annually.

Social Security payments are considered mandatory spending and are still going out to 74 million Americans. The Social Security Administration has paused some activities, though, according to the agency’s contingency plan, including benefit verification and Medicare card replacements.

National parks

Americans might bump up against the funding lapse when trying to visit national parks, some of which are open but are operating at partial capacity.

Visitors can still access roads, trails, and open-air memorials, according to the agency’s contingency plans, and parks that take in fees can use those for basic services, like cleaning bathrooms and picking up trash. If a building or facility is usually closed during non-business hours, it’s closed during the shutdown, per the contingency plan. The parks aren’t collecting entrance fees, and staffing is limited.

“National parks remain as accessible as possible during the federal government shutdown. However, some services may be limited or unavailable,” a banner on the National Parks Service website reads. “

The National Parks Conservation Association estimated that each day, parks could lose up to $1 million in fees, and surrounding communities up to $80 million in tourism spending. Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed.

Federal employees

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed — meaning they’re placed on unpaid leave — or are working without pay. Most employees got a paycheck for the days they worked just before the shutdown, which might be the final one they receive until Congress agrees on a funding package. Government contractors, including those working in maintenance roles at federal buildings and at national museums, are also affected.

Employees previously told Business Insider that the shutdown is impacting their monthly budgets, with some worried they won’t be able to afford basic necessities like medication, and others putting off expenses like home repairs.

The White House has floated the possibility that federal workers might not receive back pay, unlike after previous shutdowns, and thousands have been hit with termination notices. Those firings are in limbo after a judge temporarily ordered the Trump administration to stop laying off federal employees.