The federal government spent $9.5 billion on employees who were not working in 2025, according to a new watchdog report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The expenditure coincides with President Trump’s ongoing initiative to reduce the size of the federal workforce.
Published on Tuesday, the report estimates that $6.7 billion of the total figure was tied to a deferred resignation program. This initiative, spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), encouraged federal workers to accept a one-time offer to leave their positions in exchange for pay through September 2025. The effort began with a cryptic email to employees titled “Fork in the Road,” inviting them to take the buyout.
As a result of these measures, the federal workforce decreased by approximately 216,000 workers in 2025. Nearly 140,000 employees accepted the government’s buyout offer. The GAO also noted that costs for paid administrative leave surged by 435% last year, amounting to six times what the government spent on such leave in 2023.
Despite the Trump administration’s claims that DOGE has generated hundreds of billions in savings, outside experts have expressed skepticism and struggled to verify those figures. Meanwhile, both the national debt and federal spending have continued to rise during the president’s second term.
In some cases, agencies have reversed certain cuts and rehired workers or contractors to address operational needs. However, plans to relocate staff from Washington to regional hubs remain in effect, which could contribute further to attrition. The Office of Personnel Management did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the findings.
The deferred resignation program was chaotic. Goodbye to experienced staff, hello to rising debt and inefficiency.
Six times more on administrative leave than 2023? That screams budget waste, not efficiency.