By The Associated Press
OLYMPIA — Recently furloughed federal workers in Washington state will have to repay unemployment benefits they received during the 16-day partial government shutdown.
Because Congress included back pay for furloughed workers as part of the deal to end the shutdown, the state Employment Security department is now seeking refunds from nearly a 1,000 people.
In Idaho, just shy of 500 federal workers there will be receiving letters seeking a return of unemployment benefits received, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.
But in Oregon, about 1,300 furloughed federal workers get to keep an average of about $450 in unemployment compensation received during the shutdown even though they are slated to receive back pay.
That’s because of a state law aimed at private-sector labor disputes, according to the Oregon Employment Department.
