Many of us take a functioning government for granted. So much so that the consequences of it shutting down only become evident after the fact. How far do the effects of the U.S. government shutdown extend? Over 800,000 government workers have missed their first pay check since the impasse began. Yet, they’re not the only ones affected.
When it comes to the candy industry, the biggest consequence of the shut down is the lack of what is known as E-verify. According to E-verify.gov, “E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from your Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.” This means that U.S. employers won’t be able to perform background checks on their prospective hires and make sure that they’re eligible to work. According to a note on the same website, “due to the lapse in federal funding, this website will not be actively managed.”
E-verify is used by every employer across the candy industry, from the the manufacturers to retailers. In a few days, ProSweets Cologne will contain candy and snack suppliers from around the world. If you’ve never heard of ProSweets it, “offers the complete range of supplies for the sweets and snacks industry: from innovative ingredients, to pioneering packing solutions, through to optimized production technologies.” However, American suppliers may have some issues traveling to Germany for the fair, since the shutdown has also affected the Transportation Security Agency. According to USA Today, TSA Council on the American Federation of Government Employees head Hydrick Thomas states, “Every day I’m getting calls from my members about their extreme financial hardships and need for a paycheck. Some of them have already quit and many are considering quitting the federal workforce because of this shutdown.”
With the end of the shutdown nowhere in sight, it will be hard to estimate how much damage will be down by the time that it’s over. For more posts like this, please make sure to keep up with our blog!