LANDOVER, Md. — It has been a challenging time for federal employees who have been laid off or furloughed after the government shutdown. City of Praise Family Ministries held a job fair on Monday for that reason, with hundreds of people coming through their doors.

James Hagens is one of them. He used to work in IT in Congress, but he was part of the DOGE layoffs in March. He said finding a job has been nearly impossible.

"A living hell," he said as he described the job market. "No jobs, getting denied left and right. Certain ones I interview for, I think I’m going to get it, and the next thing you know, someone else gets it… and it’s been challenging."

Likewise, Shaylah Johnson is also looking for work. She is a sexual assault response coordinator for the U.S. Army and was furloughed

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