USPTO Backlog Goal Faces Examiner Attrition Risk

A Government Accountability Office report says the Patent and Trademark Office's push to cut its patent application backlog could be undermined by workforce strain.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Remote Work

Isometric editorial illustration of a tilted stack of blank cream folders beside an empty mustard chair at a bare slate-blue desk, evoking strain on a federal workforce. — The Patent and Trademark Office's push to cut its patent application backlog risks driving away examiners, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Thursday. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Government Accountability Office released a report on Thursday warning that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's efforts to reduce its patent application backlog may threaten its own goal. The USPTO is increasing pressure on examiners through higher work quotas while already facing high examiner turnover and reduced training.

Why it matters

The backlog affects inventors and companies waiting on patent decisions, and the report suggests that pressing examiners harder may drive the very attrition that slows progress. The findings highlight a tradeoff between short-term efficiency measures and long-term workforce stability at a key federal agency.

The USPTO has set a target of fewer than 599,000 patent applications in its backlog by 2031. The GAO's assessment indicates that meeting this goal is unlikely without lowering examiner attrition, which remains unresolved in the report's findings.

The players

Government Accountability Office

The GAO is the independent, nonpartisan audit and investigative arm of Congress that evaluates federal programs and spending.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

The USPTO is the federal agency responsible for granting patents and registering trademarks in the United States.

The details

The USPTO is pushing examiners to increase efficiency through higher work quotas while decreasing training and expanding other measures. The GAO concluded that these approaches risk worsening the high turnover the agency already experiences among patent examiners.

Thursday: Government Accountability Office releases its report on USPTO backlog efforts.
2031: USPTO's target date for reducing the backlog to fewer than 599,000 applications.

Market Landscape

The USPTO's backlog strategy sits within a longer effort to speed patent review as application volumes have strained examiner capacity. The GAO report suggests that efficiency pushes which ignore workforce retention may undercut the agency's own timelines.

Applicants awaiting patent decisions may face continued delays if examiner turnover persists. Inventors and businesses relying on timely patent grants should watch whether the USPTO's 2031 backlog target is met.

The takeaway

Efficiency targets in public agencies can conflict with workforce stability, and the GAO's findings suggest that retaining experienced examiners is central to meeting backlog goals.