00:00The White House retracts President Donald Trump's claim that government employees are already being laid off due to the ongoing shutdown.
00:08However, it warns that job losses could occur if the standoff continues into its seventh day.
00:18Trump said on Sunday that layoffs were happening immediately.
00:21But White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt later clarified that he was referring to furlough employees affected since Congress allowed federal funding to lapse on the 1st of October.
00:34Levitt said the Office of Management and Budget is working with government agencies to identify staff who may face layoffs if the shutdown persists.
00:43Federal workers' unions have filed lawsuits to prevent potential job cuts, arguing that such actions would violate federal law and could carry criminal penalties.
00:54This partial government shutdown, the 15th since 1981, is now set to become the fourth largest in U.S. history by Tuesday, surpassing the six-day shutdown of 1995.
01:05The longest, lasting 35 days, took place during Trump's first term in 2018 and 2019.
01:13Essential workers, including border agents and airport security officers, continue to work without pay while many other federal operations remain suspended.
01:23Pressure to resolve the shutdown is expected to mount next week when 1.3 million military personnel and defence staff are due to miss their first paychecks.
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