Private sector American is on their knees with the weight of millions of government employees clinging to their backs, refusing to let go...But we must be fair to the government employees!
Actually unemployment is standard practice for furloughed employees in the private sector. Plus, and it's a big plus, if you get unemployment you can't get back pay which will save a ton of money and give government employees a taste of the real world.
Yes, we should be fair to federal employees. Some Federal employees can join unions, but they are toothless as they cannot bargain over wages, hours, conditions of employment, benefits. They are not in the same position as state and local employees. If a federal employee is laid off, he or she should get unemployment compensation under the same conditions as employees in the private sector.
Employee compensation is a small part of the federal budget.