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Business

Netherlands aims to cut 25,000 government jobs in AI-led efficiency drive

The Netherlands said on Monday it aims to cut around 20% of government jobs over the next decade, about 25,000 full-time posts, in an efficiency drive it says should save €3.5 billion a year, with detailed plans for using artificial intelligence due early next year.

By James Calloway · · 2 min read

The Netherlands said on Monday it aims to cut around 20% of all government jobs over the next decade in an efficiency drive that should lead to €3.5 billion ($3.9 billion) in savings, reducing its workforce by around 25,000 full-time jobs over the next 10 years. (Reuters)

The government said it would present detailed plans of how the use of artificial intelligence could help it meet the goal by the first quarter of 2027, Reuters reported. The aim follows similar goals stated by previous governments, which were not met: some 46,500 new Dutch government jobs have been created since 2018, increasing the workforce by 40%.

Bloomberg’s account of the government statement, carried by ThePrint, puts the phasing at savings of €900 million a year by 2027, rising to €3.5 billion a year from 2035, with the cabinet presenting its plans for deploying AI to work more productively early next year. (ThePrint, reporting Bloomberg)

“We cannot keep doing what we have been doing,” State Secretary for Effective Government Eric van den Burg said. “That is why we are going to make tough choices for a central government that really works: simpler, smarter, and smaller.”

The cuts will not fall evenly, Bloomberg reported: police and defence are among the exempted areas, while ministries, inspectorates and implementing agencies will be most affected, with some departments facing staffing reductions of 45% or even 60%, according to a letter Van den Burg sent to parliament. The government’s headcount surged to a record 160,000 officials at the end of 2025, up 41% compared with 2018, despite pledges by previous cabinets to scale back.

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