Federal workers' salaries represent less than 5% of federal spending and 1% of GDP

[hay rick]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Marketplace.org

The government announced more than 62,000 job cuts across 17 different agencies last month, the report said, and even more cuts are expected to come. The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to slash 80,000 jobs, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

DOGE, headed by unelected billionaire Elon Musk, is spearheading these federal layoffs to cut what it considers wasteful government spending. In 2024, the government spent almost $7 trillion. The largest spending categories were Social Security, health insurance programs and defense, which totaled more than $4 trillion.

...

The total amount we spend on payroll for federal workers is about $336 billion a year, Kettl said.

That’s 1% of gross domestic product, and almost 5% of total federal spending. The government payroll for other developed countries is typically 5% of GDP, Kettl said.

Read more: https://www.marketplace.org/2025/03/06/federal-workers-salaries-represent-less-than-5-of-federal-spending-and-1-of-gdp/

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The media likes to reinforce the narrative that "government waste" is a serious problem and everyone is against it. Given the fact that federal workforce compensation is such a small part of total spending, overhauling the workforce offers trivial savings opportunities. More to the point, the chainsaw approach taken by DOGE does have a real chance of making federal agencies incapable of fulfilling their missions. Government incompetence can be turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. DOGE may not be good at creating savings but it sure looks like an effective tool for sabotage. I'm sure Elon Musk finds it all very amusing.

[SWBTATTReg]

1. I sure like the fact that an unelected thug is in charge of these efforts, when it should be the job of OUR elected

reps that should be doing this. And tRUMP isn't the one who decides what should be spent vs. what should not be spent. Congress does this.

[SpankMe]

2. Government waste doesn't occur in the federal bureaucracy

In fact, the bureaucracy is understaffed in my opinion. Government waste on the bureaucracy side is a pure myth. Just try to get status on your passport application when you sent in your money and paperwork 8 months earlier and still haven't heard back. This isn't a result of inefficiency and waste. It's because there aren't enough people to answer the phones or respond to email inquiries.

The real fraud, waste and abuse (FW&A) is in the contracting portion - which is a majority of the budget. Look at where and how we buy stuff, from service contractors to defense and such. That's where the cuts could make a difference. (Read a few articles on how a cost-plus contract works.)

But cutting federal employees is like cutting out tortillas at the Burrito Factory restaurant and claiming you're saving them money.

[republianmushroom]

3. The biggest waste in govt. right now is the convicted felon.

[SunSeeker]

4. K & R

[SharonAnn]

5. Thank you for posting this.

[Lonestarblue]

6. Trump and Musk are not interested in the savings or the nonexistent fraud or more efficiency.

If they were, they would have been working with the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, which was set up specifically to identify ways to cut waste and make government mire efficient. Each year the GAO produces a report with a list of ways to improve the government. Here is the 2024 report. The next time a MAGAT pushes the typical BS about the need to cut government, ask them to explain why we need Musk when we already have a cost-saving mechanism in the GAO. I doubt any MAGAT has ever even heard of the GAO. Compare the work of experienced people in government versus Musk and his coders who know nothing about government and are just firing people willy nilly with no understanding of what they actually do—like nuclear energy specialists or air traffic controllers.

“Each year, GAO reports on federal programs with fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative goals or actions, and we have suggested hundreds of ways to address those problems, reduce costs, or boost revenue. In our 14th annual report, we identified 112 new matters for congressional consideration and recommendations to agencies to help address these findings.

Congressional and agency action in these areas has yielded about $667 billion in cost savings and revenue increases. Addressing remaining matters and recommendations could save tens of billions more dollars and improve government services.”

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106915

[Omaha Steve]

7. AFTER a review by forum hosts LOCKING

analysis piece.

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