A furlough is a temporary unpaid leave from employment, derived from the Dutch word verlof ("leave of absence"), typically used by employers facing economic difficulties. In the United States, federal government furloughs have repeatedly occurred due to budget disputes—notably the 2013 sequestration, which cut Department of Defense civilian work hours, and the October 2013 government shutdown, which furloughed approximately 800,000 "non-essential" employees. The 2018–2019 shutdown (December 22 to January 25) furloughed about 350,000 workers for 35 days, while the article also references a 2025 shutdown (October 1–November 12) described as the longest, disrupting services like NIH research, visa processing, and national parks. Earlier incidents include the 2010 furlough of 2,000 Department of Transportation workers and the 2011 FAA furlough of 4,000 employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Labor issued new guidance on furloughs, reflecting their ongoing relevance in economic crises.