Dutch Cabinet Proposes 25,000 Civil Service Job Cuts

The Dutch cabinet has proposed reducing central-government staffing by about 25,000 full-time positions by 2035, pairing the planned cuts with artificial intelligence and administrative reforms intended to improve productivity and reduce costs. The proposal, set out in a letter to parliament by State Secretary Eric van der Burg, excludes police and defense. The government says it must save €900 million annually in 2027, with the required annual savings rising to €3.5 billion from 2035. Those figures are government targets, not savings already achieved. Van der Burg said the cabinet does not plan a hiring freeze. Instead, it will assess departures individually to decide whether a position needs to be filled, according to his comments on the plan. The government has not yet set out how the staffing reductions will be allocated among departments or implemented. The cabinet plans to establish AI productivity goals and savings plans in the first quarter of 2027. The specific uses of AI and their expected contribution to the savings target have not been detailed. The government says fewer civil servants will be needed as rules are simplified and work is organized more efficiently....