CBO reported that in 2002, the existing authorities were used to pay bonuses totaling $129 million to just under 20,000 new and existing employees across the government. “CBO assumes that agencies paying recruitment bonuses would, on average, double the amount of these bonuses they award to new employees, and also would increase outlays for retention bonuses by one-quarter,” the report said. In dollar terms that would be an additional $351 million into employee pockets over five years and an additional $756 million over ten years, “assuming the appropriation of the necessary funds.”