Many Americans who are eager to start new jobs in various fields, like healthcare and trucking, might encounter setbacks as federal background checks are delayed due to the government shutdown.

According to cybersecurity specialist James Knight, positions that demand background checks will face immediate stoppages unless a new funding legislation is approved by Congress and federal workers resume their duties.

Knight told the Daily Mail, “Background checks are crucial because they interfere with employment verification, criminal record assessments, and social security number checks that numerous employers depend on.”

A government background check looks into your past, including criminal records or job history, to make sure you’re trustworthy for certain roles.

People applying to be government workers, teachers, daycare workers, healthcare professionals, pilots, and commercial drivers could all see their paperwork stall, as fewer federal employees are available to run these checks.

According to data from the US Office of Personnel Management and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, around 100,000 people undergo federal background checks each month for job-related purposes.

These investigations include criminal history checks by the FBI, as well as court record searches, which look for both criminal and civil legal issues in a potential employee’s past.

‘There will be a huge slowdown. They’re already backed up. That’s really going to be affected,’ said Knight, who has 25 years of experience in the field of cybersecurity.

Overall, federal records revealed that over 2.7 million background checks are conducted every month for various reasons, including job applications.

This also means air travel will likely suffer this month because the FAA Pilot Record Database is delayed and new pilots cannot start flights.

FBI criminal checks, as well as civil court record searches, are needed for nurses, aides, and therapists, to slow hospital onboarding.

‘Shutdowns cause delays in court record updates and verification gaps, slowing credentialing and risking non-compliance with HIPAA or state mandates,’ the cyber expert explained. 

Trucking and shipping companies will also feel the impact of the shutdown because commercial drivers must undergo mandated checks by the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP), which depend on federal IT updates and audits. 

The delay in hiring new drivers for e-commerce deliveries may impact companies like Amazon, which have a high turnover rate among delivery staff and are in constant need of new drivers, he added.

Knight said this slowdown in background checks will also affect anyone seeking security clearances, travelers applying for TSA PreCheck, and individuals pursuing various licenses, including gun permits. 

Lastly, banks, insurers, and firms handling loans or investments will see slowdowns because of staffing shortages in the Social Security Administration, which provides financial institutions with fraud checks on Social Security numbers.

‘Incomplete checks could delay thousands of applications daily,’ Knight warned.

When federal offices reopen, employers may face a tidal wave of pending background checks, meaning new hires could wait weeks before finally starting work. 

But the shutdown’s reach goes beyond stalled hiring, as fewer federal employees also mean critical cybersecurity systems are less protected, leaving sensitive personal data vulnerable.

The shutdown won’t just hinder federal paperwork, as Knight warned that millions of Americans need to watch out for hackers using the government crisis to steal vital information, including social security numbers.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that roughly 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed each day of the shutdown.

With fewer federal workers monitoring government databases, the risk of hackers accessing names, addresses, phone numbers, and other sensitive personal information will increase, Knight warned.

‘The US government is not very secure. Monitoring for events, alerts, and facts that take manpower,’ Knight explained. 

‘If manpower’s furloughed, generally across the government, then there could be issues with that manpower to keep the systems up to date in a secure manner and monitored,’ he added.

To Knight’s point, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is reportedly sending 65 percent of its workforce home during the government shutdown.

CISA is a division of the US Department of Homeland Security that works to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure, like power grids and communication networks, from cyber threats and physical attacks.

Knight warned that the shutdown could allow scammers to create fake government websites designed to steal personal information from unsuspecting users. 

‘That could be for the IRS, or it could be for any government service,’ he explained.

‘Governments try to create pain during these shutdowns, but they may make a mistake and furlough the wrong people that are actually essential, such as cybersecurity people,’ Knight cautioned.

The best advice he has for Americans fearing the worst during the shutdown is to regularly monitor their online footprint and financial accounts.

That means continuous credit checks, ensuring no new accounts have been opened in your name without your knowledge, and watching for suspicious activity or purchases among your active bank accounts, credit cards, and emails.