The US federal government began preparing to reopen on Thursday after the longest shutdown in American history, but the return to normal will be uneven. President Trump signed the legislation late Wednesday night, ending more than forty days of frozen funding, stalled services and widespread uncertainty for agencies and workers. The reopening makes it possible for millions of Americans to reclaim essential services, but backlogs, delayed pay and disrupted operations mean the effects will linger, the New York Times reported.
Federal workers must return to duty immediately, including those who handle payments for programmes that depend on government funding. Sectors that rely on federal activity, such as aviation and hospitality, will need time to recover. And consumers and businesses, affected in ways that fed into the broader economy, may not experience relief for days or even weeks.
When federal workers will be paid
By law, employees who missed their paycheques must be compensated in full. Historically, back pay has arrived within a week, but the timeline varies by agency and depends on the capacity of payroll offices. Some departments are short-staffed after years of downsizing, which could slow processing.
Transportation officials suggested that air traffic controllers would receive most of their back pay within two days, though it is unclear whether other agencies will follow the same pace. Workers will also have to contend with the tax consequences of receiving a lump-sum payment that is far larger than their ordinary pay, a complication that many will not resolve until the next tax season.
How quickly food benefits return
SNAP benefits are expected to be restored within hours of the government reopening. A spokeswoman for the White House budget office said accounts would be replenished swiftly, despite the administration’s earlier resistance to using contingency funds to keep the programme afloat during the shutdown.
SNAP supports roughly forty-two million Americans, and the uncertainty in recent weeks created stress for families who rely on the benefit to buy groceries. A rapid restoration is essential to preventing further disruption.
Restarting Head Start programmes
Twenty Head Start programmes in seventeen states and Puerto Rico were forced to close temporarily as funding ran out. According to the National Head Start Association, it may take up to two weeks for all of them to resume full operations. These programmes serve more than nine thousand children and are considered vital for low-income families. Some centres stayed open with help from local governments or emergency contributions, but others are waiting for federal funds before re-opening their classrooms.
Clearing the skies for air travel
Air travel may take about a week to feel normal again. During the shutdown, staffing shortages and forced restrictions slowed operations. To return to regular schedules, air traffic controllers
must come back in sufficient numbers, and the Transportation Department must determine that facilities are adequately staffed to lift limits on takeoffs and landings.
Restrictions on six percent of flights at forty major airports remain in place for now. Officials are hoping that the system stabilises in time for the Thanksgiving travel surge, which begins the weekend before the holiday.
Museums, zoos and parks reopening
The Smithsonian Institution announced a phased return. The National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum and the Udvar-Hazy Center will reopen first, followed by the remaining museums by Monday. The National Zoo is set to reopen on Saturday, and its popular live animal cameras will resume streaming at the same time.
National parks remained technically open during the shutdown, though most operated with minimal services. Dozens are expected to resume normal staffing and public access on Thursday.
When government data will flow again
The shutdown froze the federal statistical agencies that track employment, inflation and spending. Policymakers have been operating without fresh data during a sensitive moment for the economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is expected to release September jobs data within days of reopening, and other September-dated reports may follow quickly.
However, October data remains uncollected. Agencies that rely on household and business surveys must now rebuild their samples, which may delay or complicate upcoming releases. The White House has said it does not expect an official Consumer Price Index reading for October, though some economists argue it might still be possible. Even when numbers begin to appear again, many releases may carry qualifications because of gaps in data collection.
The long tail of a long shutdown
The reopening of the federal government ends a period of extraordinary disruption, but the consequences will not disappear overnight. Workers will need time to catch up on delayed payments and paperwork. Families and businesses affected by the pause in federal support must navigate backlogs and bureaucratic recovery. And agencies that lost weeks of operational continuity will be recalibrating for some time.
The shutdown may be over, but the process of restoring normalcy has only just begun.
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