WASHINGTON – Roughly 330,000 federal workers in the DMV area have been furloughed due to the government shutdown, and local establishments are feeling the impact.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 99.9 percent of businesses in the U.S. are small businesses, and they employ nearly half of the country’s workforce.
Aksana Tran, who owns Sweet Lemon Cafe on Capitol Hill, said her business has seen roughly
20 to 30 percent less foot traffic since the shutdown began on Oct. 1.
Tran said she has not paid herself for the last three weeks due to decreased revenue and had to let go of one employee.
Small business owners met with legislative staff on Capitol Hill last week to discuss the shutdown’s personal toll.
“Every time something like this happens, it happens as we’re heading into the fourth quarter, and in this country, the fourth quarter is a big shopping season,” said Michael Brey, owner of Hobby Works, a toy and hobby retailer. “And so these kinds of things have a real negative impact.”
