U.S. Paid $9.5 Billion to Federal Workers to Stay Home in 2025

The U.S. paid federal workers $9.5 billion in 2025 to stay home while it tried to make the government workforce smaller, the Government Accountability Office, a government watchdog, said. That is six times more than in 2023. Paid days off rose 435% to 21.6 million. The leave means workers stay home with full pay and keep their own vacation days.