GAO Report Highlights Sixfold Increase in Federal Paid Administrative Leave Salary Costs Due to Deferred Resignation Program

A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that federal agencies spent $9.5 billion on salary costs for paid administrative leave, with the Deferred Resignation Program largely responsible for a sixfold increase. The report, publicly released on September 15, 2026, notes that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) does not know the actual costs of paid administrative leave used for workforce reduction efforts, despite it being a cost to taxpayers where employees receive full pay without performing job duties.