The first report from Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting initiative, DOGE, has dropped a bombshell in Washington. According to Musk and a study by Republican Senator Joni Ernst, only 6% of federal employees “report in-person on a full-time basis” to their government jobs.
This astonishing finding means 94% of all government staff work remotely, with 40% working exclusively from home, never setting foot in their offices.
“This represents a dramatic shift from the pre-pandemic era,” the report notes, “when only 3% teleworked daily, and 97% were physically present in their offices most of the time.”
Musk highlighted the issue on his X platform:
“If you exclude security guards and maintenance personnel, the government workers who show up in person and do 40 hours of work in their offices is closer to 1% — ONE PERCENT! ALMOST NO ONE!”
The DOGE report paints a stark picture, stating:
“The nation’s capital is a ghost town, with government buildings averaging an occupancy rate of just 12%.”
The report doesn’t stop there, placing much of the blame on President Joe Biden.
“President Biden is setting the example. He has been out of the office for 532 days over the last three and a half years, roughly 40% of the time he should have been in the Oval Office.”
The financial impact is staggering. Leasing and maintenance costs for these underused federal buildings total $15.7 billion, according to the report.
House Speaker Mike Johnson responded to the DOGE report, stating:
“One of the first initiatives from DOGE and Musk that I think you’ll see will be a demand from the new administration, supported by Congress, that federal workers return to their desks!”
This revelation has sparked heated debates about remote work, accountability, and the use of taxpayer money, signaling major changes may be on the horizon for federal employees.
