Congressional leaders have failed to negotiate a deal on legislation to fund the federal government before midnight on Oct. 1.

As a result, a partial government shutdown is underway, and a range of federal services are being impacted while hundreds of thousands of government workers across the U.S. face furloughs and possible layoffs . Some federal employees under agencies considered essential, like the U.S. Postal Service , Social Security , and air traffic control , will not be affected.

According to statistics from the South Dakota Department of Labor , about 11,500 federal workers were employed in South Dakota as of August 2025.

The Republican-backed funding bill passed the House Sept. 19, but Senate Democrats are demanding permanent extensions to expiring Affordable Care

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