The Government Accountability Office released a report on Thursday that the Trump administration poured $9.5 billion into paying federal employees who were on administrative leave in 2025. Of that sum, $6.7 billion stemmed from a deferred‑resignation scheme launched by the Department of Government Efficiency in January.
The scheme offered about two million workers the chance to resign while keeping their salaries until September 30, 2025. A total of 139,963 employees accepted, with the Agriculture, Defence and Treasury departments claiming the most departures.
The reduction left 378,000 workers separated from 22 major agencies, while roughly 127,000 new hires were made, driving an overall staffing drop of more than 11 % between December 2024 and January 2026. Agencies are now recruiting lawyers, tech specialists and early‑career staff to fill the gaps, and the Partnership for Public Service estimates that over 20,000 positions have been filled since the resignations.
Critics such as Senator Patty Murray have slammed the program as an expensive way to oust experienced employees. The Office of Personnel Management has admitted it cannot reliably link administrative‑leave data to the reduction plan, complicating any assessment of long‑term savings.
The GAO will publish a follow‑up audit in March 2026 to evaluate whether the program’s cost is offset by future savings, while Congress is expected to probe the spending in the next fiscal‑year hearings.