Furlough Friday Follows July 4 Holiday

Thousands of federal employees will have a four-day weekend for the July 4 holiday.

The Environmental Protection Agency, Housing and Urban Development Department and Internal Revenue Service will remain closed on Friday, July 5, to meet budget demands imposed by sequestration. The “majority” of employees at the Office of Management and Budget also will be on furlough this Friday, according to an agency spokeswoman.

The agency closures mean roughly 115,000 employees will be on unpaid leave Friday. Of that number, about 90,000 work at the IRS, while 17,000 EPA employees are affected. Some EPA operations, including those related to emergency response and maintenance will stay open, said department spokeswoman Alisha Johnson.

This is the third agencywide furlough day in 2013 for HUD and the IRS. The agencies also will shut down July 22 and Aug. 30. HUD will close on Aug. 16 as well.

(Image via Pavel L Photo and Video/Shutterstock.com)