Netherlands plans 25,000 fewer government jobs, with AI one lever
- The Dutch cabinet estimates about 25,000 fewer central government jobs over several years.
- Savings rise from €900 million ($1Bn) in 2027 to €3.5 billion ($3.9Bn) from 2035.
- The cabinet will set AI targets and savings plans in the first quarter of 2027.
- Police and defense are exempt from the cuts.
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS — The Dutch government plans to shrink its central civil service by an estimated 25,000 full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs over the next decade, using simpler rules, standardized IT and artificial intelligence (AI) among its levers. The cuts are tied to savings of €900 million ($1Bn) in 2027, rising to €3.5 billion ($3.9Bn) a year from 2035.
Efficiency covers only a third
State Secretary Eric van der Burg announced the plan on Oct. 26 in a letter to parliament, TechRepublic and DutchNews reported. Police and defense are exempt, so the cuts fall mainly on ministries, inspectorates and implementing agencies, where about 160,000 FTE work.
The letter says many organizations face staff reductions of about 20%, rising to about 45% for some and about 60% in a single case. It counts on general efficiency of up to 0.5% a year to cover only about a third of the savings target, with the remaining two thirds requiring choices about what the government does differently, does less or stops doing.
“Some choices will have to be made regarding what the government should be doing less or not at all,” Van der Burg said, according to DutchNews.
AI targets due in early 2027
The cabinet will present targets and savings plans for using AI to work more productively in the first quarter of 2027. Alongside AI, the plan standardizes IT systems, aims for one workstation per two employees, buys more jointly and simplifies or scraps at least 500 rules a year.
An annex to the letter warns against overestimating the staffing effects of digitalization and AI. It says two decades of digitizing and automating government processes did not deliver the promised savings in cost and headcount, and instead led to new tasks, more capacity and more external hiring.
A civil service that grew 41%
The central civil service had 160,016 FTE at the end of 2025, up about 41%, or 46,500 FTE, since 2018, according to the letter. A multi-year plan for the civil service is due within six months, and details of how the savings will be met will follow in the spring memorandum.
What it means for employers
For employers watching how governments plan around AI, the Dutch target treats it as one tool among several, next to fewer rules, shared IT and decisions about which work stops. Organizations planning similar cuts can move standardized back-office work into shared services or outsourced delivery as part of a wider digital transformation, and compare providers on the top AI outsourcing companies list.
Related news
- Kroger, Barclays add to job cuts tied to AI spending: AP · 30 Oct 2026
- China moves to curb AI job losses with new employment guidelines · 29 Oct 2026
- AI could displace 1 in 11 workers, mostly in recessions: Goldman · 27 Oct 2026
Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
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