Would a partial government shutdown impact the economy? Experts weigh in

The federal government on Friday hurtled toward a government shutdown.

The federal government hurtled toward a partial shutdown on Friday as the Senate negotiated a funding deal with hours left before a midnight deadline.

The shutdown is set to arrive as the economy navigates a delicate combination of elevated inflation and sluggish hiring.

A potential partial government shutdown threatens only minimal damage for the U.S. economy, tracing mainly to furloughed public workers, who temporarily lose out on pay and put a dent in consumer spending, analysts told ABC News. Most of those losses would likely be recovered once workers were to receive and spend backpay, they added.

Still, analysts said, the ultimate economic effect would depend on the duration of a potential partial shutdown, with losses mounting if the impasse were to stretch from days into weeks or months. The interruption of government services could also impact Americans, they added, noting examples like support for tax filers and air-traffic control at airports.

"There is no upside to the economy of a partial government shutdown, but any downside will be on the margin," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told ABC News.