OMB Memo Questions Automatic Back Pay for Furloughed Federal Workers

An Office of Management and Budget memo circulated on October 7, 2025 raised questions about whether furloughed federal workers would receive automatic back pay once the shutdown ended. Prior shutdowns had resulted in Congress passing back pay legislation; the OMB memo suggested the administration might not support automatic restoration, leaving roughly 750,000 furloughed workers uncertain about compensation for weeks without income.