What I’d give for a job that furloughed me, couldn’t fire me, and then paid me all the back pay after the furlough ended. Instead I work for companies that can fire me at will. And they do it, too, when business conditions turn tough.
John Edwards was right, there are “two Americas.”
What is stopping you from applying for federal employment? They employ people in most occupations, in all areas of the country.
BTW, no retroactive pay for the furlough days a couple of months ago. Also looking at additional furlough days in 2014 as well as layoffs. This is for DoD - unsure how other agencies are affected, if at all. DoD must cut $50 billion again this year. US Army (military) will reduce to 490,000, which is about the size of the entire force we sent to Saudi Arabia in the first Gulf War.