Story perspectives

GAO: Federal Government Spent $9.5B on Paid Leave in 2025

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 8:08 AM UTC · How we work

Center

GAO doubts savings

The Government Accountability Office reported that the U.S. federal government spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave in fiscal year 2025.
OPM director Scott Kupor said the $9.5 billion outlay is a one-time expense that will generate $40 billion in savings, a 400 percent return on investment.
The GAO said OPM cannot accurately track the program’s costs or verify savings.
$6.7 billion stemmed from the Deferred Resignation Program administered by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Left

Paid to Quit

The Government Accountability Office reported that the U.S. federal government spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave in fiscal year 2025.
The spending underscores how massive workforce cuts threaten essential services for vulnerable Americans.
About $6.7 billion funded a deferred-resignation program that paid roughly 140,000 employees after they quit.
Senator Patty Murray said policy paid people not to do jobs they loved, worsening services.

History

Historical Context

Bill Clinton’s 1995-96 budget clash furloughed about 800,000 federal workers, and the 2013 shutdown later cost $2.5 billion, both prompting emergency funding led by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. Recurring budget deadlocks—such as the 35-day 2018-19 shutdown—show a pattern of multi-billion-dollar expenses, echoed in the GAO’s 2025 $9.5 billion paid-leave review analysis.

1 of 3

GAO doubts savings

The Government Accountability Office reported that the U.S. federal government spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave in fiscal year 2025.
OPM director Scott Kupor said the $9.5 billion outlay is a one-time expense that will generate $40 billion in savings, a 400 percent return on investment.
The GAO said OPM cannot accurately track the program’s costs or verify savings.
$6.7 billion stemmed from the Deferred Resignation Program administered by the Department of Government Efficiency.

1 / 3