The federal government shut down for the first time since 2019 on Wednesday morning, leaving many employees working without pay until funding is restored.

TSA agents and air traffic controllers will stay on the job, along with thousands of other essential workers, including those who keep Social Security running.

The catch: Many essential employees won't get paid until funding resumes, meaning they could miss one or more paychecks depending on how long the shutdown lasts.

Hundreds of thousands of other federal employees find themselves furloughed. But like those still working without pay, they are guaranteed back pay thanks to a 2019 law.

Members of Congress, however, continue to be paid during a shutdown, as do postal workers, since the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is a self-funded, independent agency.

For federal contractors who aren't directly employed by the government, the situation is far less certain.

Will furloughed federal workers get paid?

Yes, eventually. The "Government Employee Fair Treatment Act" of 2019 requires all federal employees to receive retroactive pay once operations resume.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that about 750,000 employees could be furloughed........

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