GAO Report: Trump Administration Paid Federal Employees Nearly $7 Billion to Leave Service
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the Trump administration paid federal employees nearly $7 billion to not work as part of an effort to encourage them to leave federal service.
Baltimore, MD, September 16, 2026 — The Trump administration paid federal employees nearly $7 billion to not work, a practice aimed at encouraging their departure from federal service, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released findings indicating that substantial funds were allocated under the Trump administration for voluntary separation incentive payments. These payments, totaling close to $7 billion, were distributed to federal employees as part of an initiative designed to reduce the size of the federal workforce by incentivizing employees to leave their positions.
The report highlights that these payments, often referred to as buyouts, were a mechanism employed to achieve workforce reductions. The stated objective of these programs was to encourage employees to voluntarily separate from federal service, thereby allowing agencies to manage staffing levels and potentially reallocate resources.
Specific details regarding the particular agencies that utilized these incentives most extensively, the exact breakdown of the $7 billion expenditure, or the specific metrics used to evaluate the success of this initiative in achieving workforce reduction goals were not detailed in the summary provided for this report. The timeframe for these payments is understood to fall within the period of the Trump administration.
The GAO report serves as an account of financial expenditures and personnel management strategies implemented during that period. The exact number of employees who received these payments and the precise nature of their separation from service were not specified in the provided summary. Further information regarding the long-term impact or subsequent policy changes stemming from this practice would require additional reporting.
Story summarized from the original created by Rebecca Beitsch on thehill.com, see more information here.
Media gallery