A government shutdown would affect hundreds of thousands of federal workers nationwide, but some states may see longer lines than others when filing for unemployment benefits.

The number of federal workers in each state varies widely, with some boasting more than 150,000 and some with little more than a few thousand.

The District of Columbia isn't a state but is the epicenter of the U.S. government, with one in five residents working for the federal government. Washington, D.C., has the largest number of federal employees at 162,489, according to 2024 government data. Among states, California tops the list with 150,679 federal workers, and Vermont is at the bottom with 3,368.

To see how many federal government workers are in your state, check out our interactive map:

On a per capita basis, however, the Golden State ranks near the bottom at 39th out of 50 states. Maryland has the most federal workers per capita, followed by the Big Island of Hawaii and Virginia. See the list here.

Medora Lee is a money, markets and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@usatoday.com and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday morning.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Which states have the most federal workers hit by a shutdown?

Reporting by Medora Lee and Alberto Cuadra, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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