Maine offers federal workers aid as Trump administration begins mass firings

Federal workers in Maine on Friday received what may be their final paycheck until the government shutdown ends.
For some, it could be their final federal paycheck period, as the Trump administration has begun carrying out mass layoffs across agencies.
Here in Maine, a number of programs are kicking in to offer affected workers some assistance, including no-interest loans, unemployment insurance and opportunities for jobs within state government.
There are as many as 14,000 U.S. government employees in Maine, according to the state’s Department of Labor, most of whom have been furloughed because of the shutdown. Others have been doing essential roles without pay since the deadlock began last Wednesday.
The House passed a temporary budget bill to keep the government open into November, but the Senate has failed six times so far to advance the measure.
Maine has begun offering unemployment insurance of up to $623 a week to federal employees furloughed because of the shutdown. Those working without pay are not eligible for unemployment, according to Maine Department of Labor spokesperson Jessica Picard.
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All federal employees also can apply for zero-interest loans to match their lost income through the Finance Authority of Maine under a new program that was created by a state law that took effect on Sep. 24, a week before the current shutdown began.
“Government shutdowns mean that these workers will continue to provide these services, but might not get paid for a long time,” the law’s sponsor, Rep. Kristi Mathieson, D-Kittery, said on day three of the shutdown. “This bill will provide workers with a lifeline to be able to support themselves and their families until the shutdown is resolved.”
Government employees both on furlough and working without pay can apply for up to three loans, which are offered by local financial institutions and backed by the state, according to Finance Authority of Maine spokesperson Meredith Whitfield.
But because the program was only created a few weeks ago and loans only became available on Oct. 8, she said it’s unclear if the program is actually off the ground yet.
“While a number of institutions applied to be able to participate, we are unaware of whether any are actually offering the program at this time,” Whitfield wrote in an email.
The Finance Authority of Maine website encourages federal employees to contact their lending institutions to see if they participate in the program. Some banks and credit unions have other low-interest loans or resources for affected workers.
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Maine’s shutdown loan program is taking effect as the Trump administration has escalated its threats against federal workers. Friday afternoon, the White House’s budget office said it was beginning “substantial” reductions in the federal workforce. It wasn’t clear who has been targeted for those layoffs in Maine.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump also threatened to revoke workers’ back pay when the government reopens, even though he signed a law after the last government shutdown in 2019 requiring U.S. government employees receive retroactive pay for time lost during a shutdown.
“For the most part, we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way,” Trump told reporters Tuesday.
Perhaps bracing for a slew of layoffs, Maine has been courting federal workers to take state jobs. A Maine Department of Labor website with resources for laid off federal employees lists a job site above unemployment and health insurance information.
There is no data on how many federal employees have applied for or received state jobs, said Picard, the department’s spokesperson. Fewer than 1% of Maine’s federal workers had filed for unemployment insurance as of Friday, she said.
Maine’s largest federal employer is the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with some 6,500 workers, according to the most recent state data. Acadia National Park employs around 250 workers, more than half of whom are seasonal. That park has remained open during the shutdown. Other federal workers in Maine are scattered across various agencies.
Representatives for local and national labor unions representing workers did not respond to inquiries about how the shutdown is impacting their members.