Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

UK Civil Service Workforce Hits 550,000 as Reeves Targets 15% Cost Reduction

Chancellor Rachel Reeves plans to shave 15% off running costs by 2030 through Cabinet Office redundancies to improve efficiency.

Image
A total of 550,000 people were employed as civil servants in March, up from 548,000 in December and a rise of 1 per cent on the same time last year
Image

Overview

  • The Civil Service reached 550,000 employees in March 2025, up 1% from December and its highest headcount since June 2006.
  • Staff numbers have climbed by 134,000 since mid-2016, driven by Brexit and Covid-19 surges, with the Department for Work & Pensions and Ministry of Justice together accounting for over a third of roles.
  • Overall public sector employment rose to 6.2 million in March, the largest workforce since December 2011, buoyed by NHS hires and local schools reclassified as academies.
  • Recruitment for operational roles such as tax collectors and probation officers has been a key factor in the Civil Service’s recent growth.
  • The government will cut about 2,100 Cabinet Office posts and aims to deliver more than £2 billion in back-office savings by 2030.