As Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress seek agreement on a spending measure for the rest of the 2011 fiscal year, President Barack Obama’s administration has warned of economic disruption and even a short shutdown, Bloomberg reported.

If Congress fails to extend the government’s spending authority, which expires Friday, more than 800,000 “non-essential” federal workers – out of a civilian work force of 2.1 million – would be furloughed until new spending legislation is passed.

The prospect of a government shutdown has placed pressure on the Obama administration and congressional leaders to settle their dispute over $30 billion or more in cuts from the federal budget through September, before a suspension of all but essential federal services.

“People are going to have to understand that a shutdown would have real effects on everyday Americans,” Obama said last night after meeting with congressional leaders at the White House, where he expressed confidence that a shutdown can be averted.

Obama met with House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. All three expressed confidence that progress was made toward avoiding a shutdown.