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Department of Labor
Most recent quarterly backlog
4,068
End of FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026)
Latest annual report
3,344
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
+205%
FY2008 → FY2024 (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024)
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2024
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
FY08: 1,097
FY10: 943
FY12: 1,475
FY14: 1,187
FY16: 1,293
FY18: 1,500
FY20: 2,589
FY22: 2,314
FY24: 3,344
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 22 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
Backlog
4,068
Received per quarter
4,169
Processed per quarter
4,153
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
Days pending counts forward from the day the request was received. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2017-03-20 | 1,891 | 5.2 |
| #2 | 2017-10-06 | 1,750 | 4.8 |
| #3 | 2017-10-13 | 1,746 | 4.8 |
| #4 | 2018-05-10 | 1,599 | 4.4 |
| #5 | 2018-12-21 | 1,448 | 4.0 |
| #6 | 2019-03-08 | 1,397 | 3.8 |
| #7 | 2019-03-15 | 1,392 | 3.8 |
| #8 | 2019-05-01 | 1,359 | 3.7 |
| #9 | 2019-06-19 | 1,325 | 3.6 |
| #10 | 2019-07-31 | 1,296 | 3.6 |
Exemption invocations, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
Full-time employees
59
Equivalent FTE
83.5
Total FTE
142.5
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 15,833 | 14,856 | 3,344 |
| FY2023 | 14,282 | 14,219 | 2,388 |
| FY2022 | 14,491 | 14,335 | 2,314 |
| FY2021 | 13,560 | 14,022 | 2,158 |
| FY2020 | 15,820 | 15,645 | 2,589 |
| FY2019 | 16,090 | 16,350 | 1,729 |
| FY2018 | 14,696 | 14,679 | 1,500 |
| FY2017 | 15,813 | 15,946 | 1,479 |
| FY2016 | 16,196 | 16,466 | 1,293 |
| FY2015 | 16,792 | 17,104 | 1,303 |
| FY2014 | 16,106 | 16,715 | 1,187 |
| FY2013 | 18,755 | 19,175 | 1,246 |
| FY2012 | 18,560 | 19,224 | 1,475 |
| FY2011 | 18,012 | 18,129 | 1,143 |
| FY2010 | 17,398 | 17,625 | 943 |
| FY2009 | 16,726 | 16,810 | 1,065 |
| FY2008 | 20,798 | 20,970 | 1,097 |
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