Federal employees paid $9.5 billion not to work in 2025: GAO

The federal government spent $9.5 billion in 2025 to pay workers not to perform their duties, as reported by the Government Accountability Office. This figure represents a significant increase from the $1.6 billion allocated for administrative leave costs in 2023. The Department of Government Efficiency's initiative, known as deferred resignations, resulted in a 435% rise in paid administrative leave costs last year.

Nearly 140,000 federal workers accepted the government's buyout offer, which allowed them to leave their jobs and receive pay through September 2025. The effort to shrink the federal workforce began with a cryptic email titled "Fork in the Road," which offered workers a one-time opportunity to exit the workforce in exchange for payment.

While the Trump administration claimed that the program led to hundreds of billions in savings, outside experts have been unable to verify these claims. Some departments have partially reversed their cuts and rehired workers to fulfill government needs, while others continue to relocate staff to regional hubs. The national debt and federal spending have both increased during the Trump administration's second term.