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Federal agencies spent an estimated $9.5 billion keeping employees on paid administrative leave in 2025, a 435% jump from 2023, according to a new Government Accountability Office review of federal payroll records.
- About $6.7 billion of that total covered roughly 144,000 workers who accepted a buyout known as the Deferred Resignation Program, staying on the payroll for months without reporting to work.
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The Office of Personnel Management says the one-time expense will generate $40 billion a year in savings, but auditors say they cannot verify that claim, and outside payroll data show the workforce shrank by far less than the administration is citing.
