What does the do?

Updated annually

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is an independent agency in the executive branch responsible for administering retirement, survivor, and unemployment/sickness insurance benefit programs for railroad workers. It was established in 1935.

In FY 2024,

$4.42B

was spent by the Railroad Retirement Board
In FY 2024,

<0.1%

of federal spending was by the Railroad Retirement Board

How much does the Railroad Retirement Board spend?

The Railroad Retirement Board spent $4.42 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.065% of the $6.78 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 27th among federal agencies in total spending.

The Railroad Retirement Board accounted for <0.1% of all federal spending in FY 2024.

Share of RRB net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2024

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Railroad Retirement Board’s federal spending has decreased from $13.7 billion in 1980 to $4.42 billion in 2024.

The Railroad Retirement Board’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by RRB, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Railroad Retirement Board's spending has decreased 67.8%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
The department’s spending grew less than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, RRB accounted for 0.065% of all federal spending. That’s 0.077 percentage points lower than 2014 and 0.5 points lower than in 1980.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Railroad Retirement Board's share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to RRB, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the Railroad Retirement Board's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net RRB spending.

How did the Railroad Retirement Board spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to RRB, FY 2024

How many people work for the Railroad Retirement Board?

Some 800 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Railroad Retirement Board as of September 2024. This is 18.6% fewer people than the department staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Railroad Retirement Board has decreased 18.6% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for , September 2010–2024

Railroad Retirement Board accounts for 0.035% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. Railroad Retirement Board constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 than in 2010 (0.047%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Railroad Retirement Board's share of the workforce (0.035%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.065%).

Who leads the Railroad Retirement Board?

The RRB is led by a three-member board, whose members are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for staggered five-year terms. One board member is appointed to represent railroad employers, one to represent railroad labor organizations, and one, the chair, to represent the public interest.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.