Buffalo, NY - As the federal government shutdown reverberates through the U.S. economy, Canisius University Economics Professor Julie Anna Golebiewski, PhD, is raising concerns about the impact on workers and households across the country.
Government Shutdown Accelerates Recession Concerns
"The timing of this shutdown makes its impact especially concerning," said Golebiewski, associate dean of the Wehle Business School and the School of Data, Computing and Mathematics. "Furloughing some workers while requiring others to work without pay in an economy already showing clear signs of weakness only accelerates the path toward recession."
Golebiewski's expertise in labor markets and public finance stems from years of academic research and applied economic forecasting in both state and municipal governments. As a former Senior Economist at the New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO), she contributed to local economic forecasts and policy analysis, giving her firsthand experience with how government policy decisions and fiscal uncertainty ripple through regional economies.
Federal Employee Furloughs Impact Households Living Paycheck to Paycheck
Drawing on lessons from previous government shutdowns, Golebiewski noted that much attention had been given to the fraction of U.S. households living paycheck to paycheck, and how missed paychecks could lead to missed rent, utility, and credit card payments.
"Obviously, the longer the shutdown lasts, the more problematic those effects become, particularly in a high-interest-rate environment where relying on credit in the short-term creates more lasting effects of lost income," she said.
Economic Data Delays Complicate Federal Reserve Decision-Making
The shutdown's effects extend beyond furloughed workers to stalled economic indicators that are critical for monetary policy decisions. Delayed federal data releases can complicate Federal Reserve decision-making at a time when employment trends and consumer confidence are already under scrutiny.
As an associate professor of economics and finance at Canisius University and editor of Western New York Economic News, Golebiewski tracks how federal policy decisions affect businesses, households, and the resilience of state and local economies.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
