Amanda Aronchik

And it's been, uh... A little chaotic. A lot of mixed messages. A lot of mixed messages. Like, first, they offered buyouts to every single government employee, but not enough people took the buyouts. Then thousands of workers were fired in, like, a blanket way. But then, oh, no, a judge said they actually can't do that. There was that...

Email where government employees were asked to reply with the five things they did that week. The White House told agencies they wanted maximum elimination of functions. But then the White House was like, oh, wait, no, actually, we don't have the authority to tell agencies what to cut. Some people have been rehired after they were fired.

Email where government employees were asked to reply with the five things they did that week. The White House told agencies they wanted maximum elimination of functions. But then the White House was like, oh, wait, no, actually, we don't have the authority to tell agencies what to cut. Some people have been rehired after they were fired.

Email where government employees were asked to reply with the five things they did that week. The White House told agencies they wanted maximum elimination of functions. But then the White House was like, oh, wait, no, actually, we don't have the authority to tell agencies what to cut. Some people have been rehired after they were fired.

The IRS is preparing to cut up to 50,000 jobs. The Education Department just announced it's cutting half of its staff, like 2,000 jobs.

The IRS is preparing to cut up to 50,000 jobs. The Education Department just announced it's cutting half of its staff, like 2,000 jobs.

The IRS is preparing to cut up to 50,000 jobs. The Education Department just announced it's cutting half of its staff, like 2,000 jobs.

That would be a lot of jobs. But we've done it before. We've actually cut more. Hello and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Sarah Gonzalez.

That would be a lot of jobs. But we've done it before. We've actually cut more. Hello and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Sarah Gonzalez.

That would be a lot of jobs. But we've done it before. We've actually cut more. Hello and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Sarah Gonzalez.

Though not quite at this pace. Today on the show, what we learned the last time, where they found waste, and why jobs just might not be the best place to look if you're trying to save taxpayers' money.

Though not quite at this pace. Today on the show, what we learned the last time, where they found waste, and why jobs just might not be the best place to look if you're trying to save taxpayers' money.

Though not quite at this pace. Today on the show, what we learned the last time, where they found waste, and why jobs just might not be the best place to look if you're trying to save taxpayers' money.

So, yeah, the number of federal jobs has stayed about the same, even though the U.S. population has grown by 68 percent. But, you know, yeah, maybe there's still too many jobs. OK, surely you think that there is some waste in the government, right, or that there are some federal positions maybe that shouldn't even exist.

So, yeah, the number of federal jobs has stayed about the same, even though the U.S. population has grown by 68 percent. But, you know, yeah, maybe there's still too many jobs. OK, surely you think that there is some waste in the government, right, or that there are some federal positions maybe that shouldn't even exist.

So, yeah, the number of federal jobs has stayed about the same, even though the U.S. population has grown by 68 percent. But, you know, yeah, maybe there's still too many jobs. OK, surely you think that there is some waste in the government, right, or that there are some federal positions maybe that shouldn't even exist.

And you would know because you have done this exact thing.

And you would know because you have done this exact thing.

And you would know because you have done this exact thing.

Yeah. At the time, there was this story circling around about government waste and government inefficiency. And it all started with this mythical hammer. The story was if you bought a hammer like on the street, your local hardware store, it would cost six dollars. But if the federal government bought a hammer, it cost four hundred dollars. The $400 federal hammer.