Paying to Fire and Rehire
What happened
promisedocumented Trump promised to cut trillions of dollars in wasteful federal spending with Elon Musk's help.
- Roll Call Factbase: Donald Trump Campaign Rally in Detroit, Michigan2024-10-18 · Transcript search: 'working with Elon Musk' and 'cut trillions'
actiondocumented OPM offered eligible federal employees deferred resignation, with pay and benefits through September 30, 2025 and generally no expected work requirement during the deferral period.
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Original Email to Employees: Fork in the Road2025-01-28 · Deferred resignation terms and FAQ link
outcomereported CBS reported the Partnership for Public Service's rough estimate that DOGE-related paid leave, lost productivity, and firing and rehiring would cost about $135 billion in fiscal 2025.
- CBS News: DOGE says it has saved $160 billion. Those cuts have cost taxpayers $135 billion, one analysis says2025-04-28 · Partnership estimate and included-cost description
- CBS News: DOGE says it has saved $160 billion. Those cuts have cost taxpayers $135 billion, one analysis says2025-04-28 · White House response following the Partnership model description
- Associated Press: Federal agency asks hundreds of workers fired by DOGE to return2025-09-23 · Opening section and GSA response
affected groupreported Associated Press reported that GSA asked hundreds of employees to return after months on paid leave, an agency-specific example of reversal and paid nonwork time.
- Associated Press: Federal agency asks hundreds of workers fired by DOGE to return2025-09-23 · Opening section and GSA response
administration responsereported GSA said it had made staffing adjustments in the best interest of the taxpayer and that workforce decisions continued to evolve.
- Associated Press: Federal agency asks hundreds of workers fired by DOGE to return2025-09-23 · GSA statement
administration responsereported A White House spokesman rejected the Partnership analysis as an illegitimate effort to undermine DOGE's efficiency claims but did not provide a component-by-component alternative estimate in the cited report.
- CBS News: DOGE says it has saved $160 billion. Those cuts have cost taxpayers $135 billion, one analysis says2025-04-28 · White House response following the Partnership model description
Amounts and affected parties
public costModeled fiscal-2025 cost of DOGE workforce disruptionroughly $135 billion - Loss or cost borne by
- U.S. taxpayers
People and organizations
- Federal agencies implementing workforce reductionsaffected party
- Federal employees separated, placed on leave, or later rehiredaffected party
- U.S. taxpayersaffected party
Assessment
Paid leave, back pay, rehiring and lost productivity are documented costs, and they contradict any pure-savings account of the workforce campaign. The $135 billion estimate carries its modeling limits and is useful for scale alone.