25 November 2016, 19:38 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The decreased spending used to fund activities like law enforcement training and worker protection programs, the report states.
However, opportunities exist for top management at selected government agencies to take additional actions to ensure they maintain capacity to achieve their missions and avoid costs, the GAO observed.
Some government agencies had reported that the cuts they had been forced to carry out had affected timeliness and service level for some programs, the report acknowledged.
"Some organizations working with the agencies that had been forced to implement the cutbacks noted that some actions had negative effects on individuals, businesses, states [and] localities," the GAO said.
The effects they cited included delays in receiving unemployment benefits and disruptions to businesses, the report added.
