Elon Musk’s DOGE Layoffs Reversed As Donald Trump Begs Fired Workers To Return

Last Updated:September 24, 2025, 23:44 IST

After Elon Musk’s DOGE cut GSA staff by up to 79 percent, the agency is recalling hundreds of employees to fix understaffing.

Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’s sweeping cost-cutting campaign are being asked to return to work after the General Services Administration (GSA) admitted that drastic staff reductions had left the agency “broken and understaffed.”

Citing an internal memo, Associated Press reported that the GSA has told affected workers- who manage federal offices and leases- they have until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement. Those who agree must report back by October 6, effectively returning after a seven-month paid absence that, in some cases, has cost taxpayers millions as leases on unused properties continued to run.

DOGE’s Push To Shrink Government

The cuts stemmed from directives by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which had targeted the GSA as a bloated bureaucracy ripe for overhaul. Beginning in March, thousands of GSA employees retired early, accepted buyouts or were dismissed. DOGE planned to cancel nearly half of the agency’s 7,500 leases and sell off federal properties, projecting savings of up to $460 million.

But the scale and speed of the reductions quickly proved unmanageable as GSA headquarters staffing had been slashed by 79%, portfolio managers by 65% and facilities managers by 35%. In the confusion, at least 131 leases expired without the government vacating the properties, triggering heavy penalties. Of more than 800 leases initially slated for termination, nearly 500 have since been spared. Savings estimates have now shrunk to about $140 million.

The GSA, created in the 1940s to centralize the management of federal buildings, oversees thousands of offices across the country.

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