What kind of part-time job are Americans doing to make ends meet during a shatdaun

When last weekend the capital of the country was covered with snow, Nick Elger realized that this was a chance to make some money. He was not alone. People literally cling to everything that can bring income, because despite the fact that the government does not work, the accounts come without stopping.

28-year-old Elger usually spends his working days at the Environmental Protection Agency, but today he has become one of the nearly 400 000 employees sent on vacation at his own expense because of the shutdown, which was the longest US government shutdown.

“I’m just going crazy sitting at home,” Alger said. “So I decided that in the first few weeks I would just post a couple of ads on Craigslist.”

Elger offered his snow cleaning services for 20 dollars per hour - a reasonable rate, considering that he had been doing this for more than 20 years in Wisconsin.

Фото: Depositphotos

But after answering the offer a couple of times, he prepares other options. Elger is also planning to go through the bars in DC. Some of them have recently invited young people with experience to earn extra money until the government opens.

"If I don't get enough orders from Craigslist this week, I'll hit the local bars and restaurants," Elger said. “I have service and bartending experience, so I’ll go and ask if they need help.”

Recall that, around 800, 000 federal employees have not been paid this month, and thousands of others, including contractors and service workers, also face a financial burden due to the closure of the government. Many, like Elger, place an ad on Craigslist in search of a temporary part-time job.

Uber and Lyft, which offer temporary and freelance work, are in particular demand.

Фото: Depositphotos

Kirstin Safakas, 31-year-old, the coordinator for the local community involvement of the Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago, also had to save money by contacting Via's application after she couldn’t save $ 2700 for her newly purchased single-family home mortgage.

Working through Via provided some financial relief, and she still had to save a little.

29-year-old Brooks Mitchell, a contractor from Boulder, Colorado, is in a similar position. Mitchell, whose work is funded by suspended grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation, and his wife got married in October. Now they live on the money donated to the wedding and think what to do next.

“I'm looking at dog walking jobs and any freelance work I can find,” Mitchell said, adding that he also plans to look at part-time jobs at Uber, Lyft and TaskRabbit.

“Worst case scenario, if this goes on for another two or three weeks, I'll probably be looking at finding another full-time job, which is unfortunate because I really love my job,” Mitchell said.

Government employees and contractors across the country are looking for a side job. In Fresno, Calif., A Vice News employee traveled with a federal prison officer who works in Uber. Associated Press Edition in Tuscon, Arizona, spoke to a woman who rented a room on Airbnb. Two sisters in Maryland sell cheesecakes.

Recall that hundreds of agents of the Transportation Security Administration refused to work at major airports throughout the United States, which led to the present collapse for thousands of passengers.

In all of this story, perhaps the positive news will be that Trump signed the law on the payment of compensation to civil servants who do not receive a salary due to the suspension of government work.

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