UK Government Plans to Cut Over 10,000 Civil Service Jobs in Efficiency Drive

Departments are tasked with finding 5% budget savings, prompting workforce reductions and calls for smarter use of technology.

The Labour government is directing departments to achieve 5% efficiency savings, potentially resulting in over 10,000 civil service job cuts.
The civil service workforce grew to 513,000 due to Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, up from a low of 380,000 in 2016.
The government has rejected setting a fixed headcount target, focusing instead on productivity improvements and technological advancements.
Union leaders have called for a collaborative approach to workforce planning, warning against blunt headcount reductions that could harm morale and efficiency.
June 2025 will see the release of a strategic workforce plan to assess the future size and structure of the civil service.