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2w ago

Overseas Civilians at U.S. Bases Miss Pay as Shutdown Drags On

Patchwork help from host nations leaves many locally hired contractors still at risk.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks during a joint press conference at the MED9 Leaders' Summit in Portoroz, Slovenia, October 20, 2025. REUTERS/Borut Zivulovic
Among the countries covering the workers' salaries is Germany, which paid off the salaries of nearly 11,000 civilian employees.
U.S. military officers walk next to F-35 fighter jets of the Vermont Air National Guard, parked in the military base at Skopje Airport, North Macedonia, on Friday, June 17, 2022. Two F-35s US planes from the 134 Fighter Squadron of the Vermont Air National Guard that are in air policing mission in Europe at the NATO's eastern flank were presented Friday at the military base at Skopje airport. More than 200 Vermont air guard personnel, their equipment and eight F-35s are flying enhanced air policing missions along NATO's eastern flank in Europe to monitor the area for intrusions by Russian aircraft. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
US Government Shutdown Forces Local Workers at Some Overseas Bases to Go Without Pay

Overview

  • At least 2,000 local employees at U.S. bases in Europe have had pay interrupted nearly six weeks into the government shutdown.
  • Germany has covered salaries for nearly 11,000 civilian staff on U.S. bases and expects the United States to reimburse those costs.
  • A union in Italy reports more than 900 workers at Aviano and Vicenza and about 400 at Livorno have gone unpaid, with staff continuing to report for duty.
  • In Portugal’s Azores, more than 360 workers at Lajes Field remain unpaid as the regional government approved a bank loan to provide temporary pay under rules that do not allow furloughs.
  • Spanish authorities helped resolve a pay delay for base workers last month, while the Pentagon offered only a brief statement and experts warn contractors face the greatest exposure.