The consequences of the U.S. federal government shutdown are now hitting two critical U.S. services.

On Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the layoff of approximately 130 core staff from its infectious disease team. Meanwhile, U.S. air traffic control centers under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in three locations reported staffing shortages, according to China Media Group.

U.S. media reports highlight that these CDC layoffs are occurring while the U.S. faces multiple significant public health challenges, including measles cases hitting a new high since 1992, a surge in flu season deaths, and whooping cough cases nearing historic peak levels for the second consecutive year.

According to the FAA's operational report, personnel shortages have affected various facilities. On Saturday, the New York air traffic control center warned of issues at 2:00 p.m. local time. Controllers in Atlanta were short-staffed between 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and the Albuquerque center experienced insufficient personnel from 6:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. the next day.

Although some flight delays can be mitigated by rerouting, other flights may have to reduce speed for safety. With the government still shut down, essential employees, such as air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, are working without pay.

The U.S. federal government entered a shutdown on October 1, marking the first shutdown in nearly seven years.

Trump issues an order to pay the military

Despite the ongoing government shutdown, during which many civil servants are working without salaries, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had issued an order for the military to be paid next week.

Trump said on Truth Social that he has directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "use all available funds" to ensure troops receive their pay on October 15 amid the shutdown.

"We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to pay our troops," Trump wrote.

Federal layoffs

According to U.S. media reports, this round of federal layoffs, which the Trump administration said began on Friday, could be large in scale and wide in impact, with the U.S. Homeland Security Department, the Health and Human Services Department, and the Treasury Department all planning layoffs.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents around 800,000 workers, said it is "disgraceful" that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to "illegally" fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country."

"Federal workers are tired of being used as pawns for the political and personal gains of the elected and unelected leaders. It's time for Congress to do their jobs and negotiate an end to this shutdown immediately," said AFGE National President Everett Kelley.

Meanwhile, the congressional deadlock remains unresolved. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a new temporary funding bill, with proposals from both Democrats and Republicans once again rejected. Democrats sought to expand healthcare benefits in the bill, while Republicans insisted on passing a "clean" short-term funding measure first, leaving the two sides at an impasse.

Typically, during a U.S. government shutdown, employees providing "essential services" work without pay, while hundreds of thousands of others are forced to take unpaid leave. Once the government reopens, these employees usually receive back pay. U.S. media noted that permanently firing federal employees during a shutdown deviates from traditional practices.

(With input from agencies)