US government shutdown, and the COVID lockdown

US government shutdown
(Started October 2025, ended November 12, 2025)

What damage to the US economy has the shutdown done so far?

■ The ongoing standoff has severely impacted travel, hotel, and construction sectors. Travel and leisure is a place that’s really being heavily hit.

■ Could cut fourth quarter GDP growth in half. The repercussions of the shutdown could slice 1% to 1.5% from US GDP growth in the October-December period.

■ The impact on the economy is far worse than we expected. Many Americans are running out of options as bills pile up and groceries run thin.

■ US airlines have canceled around 700 flights at 40 major airports around the country. Frustrated travelers were scrambling as more than a thousand flights were canceled.

■ Amid air traffic controller staff shortages caused by the shutdown, the FAA ordered a 4% reduction in flights.

■ States across the US warn millions will lose food stamp benefits due to government shutdown.

■ The impacts of the longest federal government shutdown in United States history are reverberating around the country — leaving millions of Americans in limbo and igniting concerns about an economic downturn.

■ The mass firings of government workers and a fresh cut in federal food aid, the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington DC is bracing for the swell of people who will need its help before the holiday season. (The haves against the have-nots, here.)

■ Trump attends another extravagant party at Mar-a-Lago as thousands hit food banks amid shutdown.

COVID lockdown
(Started March 2020, ended May 2023)

What damage did the COVID lockdown did to the US economy?

■ COVID-19 lockdown took a toll on people’s mental health, physical health, relationships and finances – economic hardship.

■ Job losses and business closures. The COVID-19 pandemic led to permanent and temporary job losses. Most families lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic. Income loss was particularly severe among Black and Hispanic families.

■ Child maltreatment, intimate partner violence and deaths associated with economic downturns.

■ Travel restrictions caused a massive and immediate drop in passenger volume. The pandemic reversed years of growth in air travel.

■ COVID-19 lockdowns caused significant damage to global GDP, leading to the sharpest economic downturn since the Great Depression, with a global GDP decline of (3.0%) in 2020

■ COVID-19 caused hotel closures and revenue cuts.

■ 31% of adults reported that their families could not pay the rent, mortgage or utility bills, were food insecure during the COVID lockdown.

■ NYC workers…lost their jobs during the pandemic for refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19.