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Help wanted: Despite shutdown, TSA holds hiring event in Twin Cities

Hundreds turned out to apply for jobs as TSA agents at MSP despite current employees working without pay.

Tasked with keeping the nation’s skies safe, TSA agents are considered essential and required to work through the government shutdown even though they are currently not getting paid.

With that backdrop, it was fair to wonder what the turnout would be Saturday for the hiring event TSA was holding in Bloomington to staff up in advance of the busy Spring travel season.

“Why would people come to get a job where there’s no pay?” George Navas of Chaska mused as he himself showed up to apply for a position. “I figured there’d be hardly anybody here.”

He was wrong.

Applicants lined the hallways and it was standing room only at the TSA administrative offices located in an office park in Bloomington across the street from Mall of America.

40 people had pre-scheduled, 423 showed up.

That’s the most applicants the agency has ever seen, anywhere in the country, at one of their fast-track hiring events.

“They came here, they came here knowing that we’re working without pay right now and they’re capitalizing on the aspect of what the mission is about,” said Deputy Federal Security Director for Minnesota David McMahon.

The mission of providing service to the nation is what drew job seeker Copa Yang. 

“Just because I’d get to work for my country. I came here from another country so I’m a citizen now and just want to give back,” said Yang who is originally from Laos.

Yang and others KARE 11 spoke with said the shutdown is not significant deterrent for seeking employment with the government agency. “That didn’t cross my mind.” He added, “I know the government may be shut down, but it will be up and running again.”

That promise is definitely part of the TSA’s pitch for the jobs that pay between $18 and $25 an hour.

“We’re telling them this government shutdown will end eventually,” McMahon said. “There is a guarantee you’re going to get paid – maybe not this Friday.”

That uncertainty and delayed pay has been too much for some current employees. 

McMahon told reporters there have been some MSP based TSA agents resign because they cannot financially continue to work without receiving a paycheck. However, he estimated that number was less than five.

This hiring event had been planned for months before the shutdown with the TSA looking to hire at least 40 people. They had no shortage to choose from.

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