A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicates that the US federal government spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for employees in 2025, a figure driven by efforts to reduce the federal workforce under the Trump administration.
The initiative was led by the “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge), with Elon Musk serving as its head. According to the GAO, an independent congressional watchdog, the use of paid administrative leave across federal agencies surged by 435% between 2023 and 2025.
The financial impact of this shift was substantial, with costs rising sixfold compared to 2023 spending levels. The findings were released on Tuesday, highlighting the scale of expenditures incurred while workers were temporarily placed on leave during the restructuring period.
Wait, they paid billions for people just to sit at home? That seems wildly counterproductive.
Sixfold cost increase for doing nothing? That doesn’t sound like efficiency to me.