A Maria Antoinette moment

[timelets]

Wilbur Ross, a billionaire and the current Commerce Secretary, doesn't understand why federal workers who don't get paid can't get a loan from a bank.

"Wilbur Ross 'Doesn't Understand' Why Furloughed Workers Need Food Banks | Hallie Jackson | MSNBC" (Watch on YouTube)

Comments

[timelets]

Actually, it would be interesting to see whether the workers' behavior is going to change because of the current shutdown. We already know that at TSA absenteeism is up to 10% now. Maybe these people are already working other jobs intend to rebalance their employment portfolio, so to speak.

[gomberg]

I believe this has already been documented. Of course, they are already working other jobs - though, at this point, it is more to deal with current liquidity.

More generally, it would be interesting to see if in the future US government would have to pay more to hire (to compensate for the increased perceived risk). That would be the best evidence of changed worker behavior.