Hundreds of federal employees who were dismissed during Elon Musk’s cost-cutting campaign are being asked to return to work, with the General Services Administration (GSA) issuing recall notices that give them until the end of the week to accept or decline. Those who agree will resume duty on October 6 after what has amounted to a seven-month paid absence, according to an internal memo reviewed by the Associated Press.“Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.”The reversal highlights the strain on the GSA, which manages thousands of federal workplaces and was a prime target of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Agencies including the IRS, Labor Department and National Park Service have also reinstated staff in recent weeks after downsizing moves proved disruptive.Starting in March, thousands of GSA employees resigned or took early retirement offers. Hundreds more were dismissed outright as part of aggressive staff reductions, yet some continued to draw salaries. While the agency has not disclosed the cost of its reversal, Democrats argue the downsizing yielded no tangible savings. Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona, the top Democrat overseeing the GSA, said: “It’s created costly confusion while undermining the very services taxpayers depend on.”DOGE had identified GSA as a central focus of its campaign against waste and fraud. Musk’s aides embedded at GSA headquarters sought to cancel nearly half of the agency’s 7,500 leases and sell hundreds of federally owned buildings. At one stage, more than 800 lease termination notices were issued without informing government tenants.Although DOGE initially claimed the cancellations would save nearly $460 million, estimates have since been reduced to $140 million. More than 480 leases previously marked for termination have been spared, covering properties used by the IRS, Social Security Administration and FDA.Job cuts were similarly severe, with headquarters staff reduced by 79% and facilities managers by 35%, according to a federal official. The disruption left 131 leases to expire without agencies vacating properties, exposing taxpayers to heavy fees as landlords were unable to re-let the space.GSA representatives declined to answer questions on staffing or costs, but a spokesman said in an email: “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.”The Government Accountability Office is currently reviewing GSA’s management of workforce reductions, lease cancellations and building sales, with findings expected in the coming months, said senior GAO official David Marroni.
