Contact Jordan LaPier Director (202) 495-3320 jlapier@ourpublicservice.org Partnership for Public Service launches The Cost to Our Economy tool to quantify economic cost of federal workforce cuts and grant cancellations April 9, 2026 New analysis finds a total economic cost of more than $165B, totaling $1,028 per taxpayer WASHINGTON – The nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service today launched The Cost to Our Economy, an interactive data tool estimating more than $165 billion in economic damage from the Trump administration’s cuts to the civil service and federal assistance. As the dust has settled after the destructive actions of the now defunct DOGE, this tool attempts to set the record straight and help the public understand the severe economic consequences of mismanaging federal personnel, funding and programs that benefit millions of Americans. The Cost to Our Economy summarizes and aggregates the direct and indirect financial costs of actions such as reductions in force, implementation of the deferred resignation program and the loss of federal grants. These categories were chosen because they represent the most significant and verifiable costs associated with mismanagement of federal resources. Where reliable data exists, the tool also captures broader economic costs, including those stemming from the 2025 government shutdown. The tool will be updated regularly as new information and analysis emerges on the short- and long-term costs of these actions. Key estimates from January 2025 to present include: A total economic cost of $165,626,742,154 Total costs associated with actions related to the federal workforce is $70,995,233,975* Cost of paying employees separated through DRP: $4,508,306,304 Cost of disengaged federal employees: $53,181,695,201 Loss to real GDP from reduction in hours worked by furloughed federal employees during 2025 shutdown: $11,000,000,000 Total costs associated with terminated scientific grants is $94,631,508,178* Loss from terminated NSF grants: $1,774,054,931 Loss from terminated EPA grants: $72,841,874,885 Loss from terminated CDC grants: $17,759,326,412 A cost per taxpayer of $1,028 (based on 161 million taxpayers) *Visit our website for a full cost breakdown by category. “This is the cost of chaos—the chaos of mismanaging the federal workforce and mishandling federal grants and contracts,” said Partnership for Public Service president and CEO Max Stier. “Rather than rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, the Trump administration has done the exact opposite and shifted an enormous burden onto taxpayers and undermined the institutions that serve them.” “While government reforms, including strategic workforce cuts, can make government more effective when thoughtfully executed, the Trump administration’s haphazard approach to cost cutting is inflicting significant economic damage,” Stier added. “Congress should reassert its constitutional oversight over the administration to protect the nonpartisan civil service, compel the release of appropriated federal assistance, and stop this damage from compounding further.” This is the fourth product released under the Partnership’s Federal Harms Tracker, a data and storytelling project documenting the impact of the Trump administration’s unprecedented campaign to dismantle federal institutions, funding streams and infrastructure. The Cost to Your Government tracks confirmed employee reductions across federal agencies, sourced from official government documents and news reports, and links them to specific risks and harms for communities nationwide. The Cost of the Shutdown documents the day-by-day impact of disruptions to vital government services during the 2025 total government shutdown and the 2026 partial government shutdown. The Cost to Your Community shows how workforce reductions and funding cuts affect states, cities and towns through data and storytelling. The Partnership for Public Service is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. Over the past 25 years and across five presidential administrations, we have offered government agencies and leaders crucial training and insights to better serve the public, championed legislation for effective government and shined a spotlight on the achievements of the federal workforce. Now, building on our decades of experience, we engage the public about the value of government and how its erosion harms us all and advance reforms that seek to make our federal institutions more effective, responsive and accountable to the American people. We also strengthen leadership in federal, state and local government, help federal workers navigate an increasingly complex federal environment and provide former public servants with opportunities to shape efforts to transform government. Visit ourpublicservice.org, follow us @PublicService and subscribe today to get the latest federal news, information on upcoming Partnership programs and events, and more. ###
