The U.S. government spent $9.5 billion paying federal workers on administrative leave in 2025, as the Trump administration pushed ahead with efforts to shrink the federal workforce. The figure was more than six times higher than in 2023, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office, an independent congressional watchdog. Some $6.7 billion of the total was tied to the administration's deferred resignation program, which allowed employees to remain on paid leave before leaving their jobs. The findings come after hundreds of thousands of federal positions were cut or eliminated as part of the administration's workforce reduction efforts. #trump #usa #news #money #career