USG Shutdown Forecast Historical: The partial shutdown of U.S. government (USG) services that began 16 days ago must last until 13 January to beat the 21-day shutdown that occurred during 1995/96. The frequency in recent decades of political impasses between the branches of government leading to a shutdown means that they have become normalized. For those with money, it looks like a paid vacation for federal workers since they will ultimately be compensated for any lost wages. However, nearly 80 percent of all full-time workers say they work paycheck to paycheck, meaning they lack the savings to bridge a multi-week gap in income. Government employees are unlikely to veer far from that pattern. More adversely impacted are government contrac...