GPO Reports Results of Buyouts/Early Outs
WASHINGTON, DC—Jan. 24, 2012—The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) workforce is at its lowest level in the past century as a result of buyouts, early outs, and employees leaving the agency for other reasons. GPO offered buyouts and early outs to the agency’s employees during the second half of calendar year 2011 as a result of overall government cutbacks and projected reductions in appropriated funding.
The buyout program targeted a reduction of 15 percent, or 330 employees, while ensuring that critical agency functions were not depleted of essential staff strength. GPO has attained its workforce reduction goal while maintaining the necessary employees to carry out the agency’s mission of Keeping America Informed.
When the buyout program began, there were 2,232 employees. When it ended on Dec. 31, 2011, there were 1,920 employees. Since 1980, GPO has reduced its workforce by 70 percent as the result of using new technologies, a rate of change unparalleled elsewhere among other Legislative Branch agencies.
A total of 247 employees took GPO’s buyout/early out offer. In addition, there was a net reduction of 65 other employees from GPO during the same period, bringing the total to 312 departures. GPO anticipates saving nearly $17.9 million for the remainder of fiscal year 2012 and $23.9 million in fiscal year 2013, the first full year of saving after implementing the buyouts/early outs.
“Our goal is to do more with less in serving Congress, the White House, Federal agencies, and the public,” said Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks. “The buyout we conducted last year will make GPO more efficient in meeting the information dissemination needs of our customers as the digital information platform for the Federal Government.”
About the GPO
GPO is the Federal Government’s primary resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government in both digital and tangible formats. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies.
Source: GPO.