
The Netherlands Plans to Cut 25,000 Government Jobs as It Turns to AI
The Dutch cabinet expects central government to have about 25,000 fewer full-time jobs by 2035, roughly 20% of the civil service, and says AI will help it get there. State secretary Eric van der Burg set out the plan in a letter to parliament on Monday, October 26. The cuts should save €900 million in 2027, rising to €3.5 billion a year from 2035. Police and the armed forces are exempt, and some ministries, inspectorates and delivery agencies could see staff cut by 45% or even 60%. The plan follows rapid growth: central government reached a record of about 160,000 full-time jobs at the end of 2025, 41% more than in 2018. The episode also covers the plan to scrap or simplify at least 500 rules a year, one desk for every two civil servants, a preference for Dutch and European suppliers, and why economists and an OECD report question whether government AI is ready to deliver. The split of cuts by ministry and the cabinet's AI goals and savings plans have not been published yet; they are due in 2027, with AI plans in the first quarter and the ministry split in the spring budget update. Visit ainewspaper.org to see today's stories and sign up for free email alerts.
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