GSA recalls hundreds of federal workers after DOGE downsizing push

The General Services Administration has asked hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in the DOGE-driven cost-cutting push to return to work, with a deadline to accept or decline reinstatement by the end of the week. Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid leave, during which time the agency has, in some cases, continued to incur costs tied to staying in dozens of properties whose leases were slated for termination or expiration. “Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official who represents property owners with government leases. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.” Becker, who has observed the sector from outside government, said the reversal of the downsizing reflects how Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency had gone too far, too fast. GSA, established in the 1940s to centralize the acquisition and management of federal workplaces, is central to the agency’s ability to manage buildings and leases. The recall mirrors similar efforts at other agencies targeted by DOGE, which sought to cut headcount and renegotiate or cancel leases as part of an overarching efficiency drive.

Starting in March, thousands of GSA employees left the agency as part of buyouts or resignations encouraged by DOGE. Hundreds more who were subject to recall notices were dismissed in a broad downsizing effort. While some employees did not show up for work, others continued to receive pay during the leave period. GSA representatives did not respond to detailed questions about the recall, headcount, or the potential cost overruns associated with reversing plans to terminate leases. In a brief email, a spokesman said: “GSA’s leadership team has reviewed workforce actions and is making adjustments in the best interest of the customer agencies we serve and the American taxpayers.”

Democrats have criticized the Trump administration’s indiscriminate approach to slashing costs and jobs at GSA and across the federal government. Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona, the top Democrat on the subcommittee overseeing the GSA, told AP there is no evidence that reductions at the agency delivered any savings, arguing the moves created costly confusion while undermining services taxpayers rely on. DOGE identified GSA as a centerpiece of its program to reduce fraud, waste and abuse, including plans to cancel hundreds of leases and to sell off government-owned buildings. The administration had claimed substantial savings, but Becker notes the “Wall of Receipts” for lease cancellations has been revised downward—from a near $460 million projection to about $140 million by the end of July.

The scope of the upheaval at GSA was wide: the agency’s leadership cut back at headquarters by about 79%, portfolio managers by 65%, and facilities managers by roughly 35%, according to a federal official briefed on the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Those cuts coincided with hundreds of leases expiring or being terminated without tenants vacating, exposing the government to steep penalties and higher costs for landlords when buildings sit idle. In all, at least 131 leases expired without the government actually vacating the spaces, the official said.

The situation has prompted congressional scrutiny. The Government Accountability Office announced it would examine how GSA managed its workforce, the lease terminations, and planned disposals of property as it reviews the broader DOGE era. GAO officials said findings are expected in the coming months, as lawmakers seek to understand whether the downsizing program achieved its stated goals and what costs may have been incurred by reversing some of those decisions.

In recent weeks, some other agencies have taken steps to reverse parts of the purge. The Internal Revenue Service said it would allow some employees who accepted resignation offers to remain on the payroll, while the Labor Department and the National Park Service have rehired or reinstated employees who had taken buyouts or were purged earlier in the DOGE push. Still, the GSA recall stands as one of the largest broad reversals tied to a sweeping effort to shrink the federal workforce and shrink the government’s portfolio of leased and owned properties.

The recall announcement comes as many lease agreements and property dispositions were being reconsidered, with a number of landlords affected by the shift voicing concerns about rental income and the ability to re-lease space. The head of the agency said the move would help deliver better service to the agencies it serves and to taxpayers, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have urged caution to ensure any cost savings are real and not offset by transition costs or service gaps.

As GAO investigators prepare to issue findings, the public will have a clearer view of the scale of DOGE’s impact on GSA’s workforce, lease portfolio, and building disposals, and how those choices affected federal operations and costs in the ensuing months. The Trump administration has signaled it intends to continue pursuing efficiency measures, even as lawmakers push for greater transparency about the outcomes and tradeoffs of such policies.