California Governor Gavin Newsom Credit: Office of the Governor (file photo)
What you need to know: California is providing workers with critical support and relief as Trump turns his back on labor amid his federal shutdown and ongoing economic failures.
October 11, 2025 - SACRAMENTO — As Trump’s federal shutdown continues for the 10th day and counting, and the administration turns its back on workers by implementing mass layoffs and threatening to illegally withhold backpay from current workers, Governor Gavin Newsom stands with California’s more than 248,000 federal workers by providing important state protections and relief.
Related: California Employment Development Department Supports Federal Workers Impacted by Government Shutdown and Layoffs, Can Apply Online for Unemployment Benefits Through MyEDD
“The President’s actions and his failed leadership have been reckless and cruel. While he’s busy weaponizing dysfunction in Washington — using shutdowns to scapegoat workers and push families to the brink — we’re holding the line in California. We don’t treat public servants as pawns in some partisan fight. We honor work, we protect families, and we keep our government running so people can count on it when they need it most.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Trump is failing our economy
The fallout from President Trump’s failure touches nearly every sector of our economy — hurting businesses and workers.
While the federal government has postponed its monthly jobs report — increasing uncertainty for businesses and policymakers — the signs of Trump’s shutdown are starting to show through. Since the shutdown began, California has seen an uptick in requests for unemployment benefits from federal workers, with the number of requests increasing by hundreds in just the first few days of the shutdown.
This follows disappointing national job numbers released last month, which indicate a sharp decrease in hiring for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic and fewer jobs created during the first year of the Trump administration compared to the same period in 2024.
Trump is failing workers
Instead of helping the workforce, Trump is turning his back. This week, Trump threatened to illegally withhold backpay for hundreds of thousands of American federal workers, and is now announcing mass layoffs of thousands of federal workers. Unlike the federal government, California’s government continues to work for the people. Today, Governor Newsom is highlighting that federal workers in California who are laid off, have their hours reduced, or are out of work due to a federal government shutdown furlough or layoff may qualify for state unemployment benefits through California’s Employment Development Department. Benefits are available for workers who meet all eligibility requirements. EDD also stands ready to help federal workers file unemployment claims when they have been impacted by a Reduction-In-Force (RIF) and other no-fault separations.
Trump is failing our military
As President Trump continues his nationwide crusade to deploy the National Guard against its own communities and those of varying states, one point is abundantly clear – they are working for free
While these soldiers have been taken away from their families, communities, and civilian professions because of the President’s federal shutdown, they won’t get paid. If they were on active state duty, for example, in California protecting our communities from wildfire threats, patrolling the border and stopping the illicit drug trade, or responding to disasters at the Governor’s direction, they would be getting paid by the state.
Source: Office of the Governor
