Job cuts part of efforts to curb public sector

Lyndon Farnham said the job cuts were part of ongoing efforts to streamline the sector

The States of Jersey has said the removal of seven senior roles has contributed to "the progress in curbing the growth in the public sector".

Answering a question from deputy Max Andrews, the chair of the States Employment Board Lyndon Farnham said the job cuts were part of ongoing efforts to streamline the sector.

Other measures the government has taken included a recruitment freeze, removing 1,000 unfilled vacancies and reducing the use of external consultants, he added.

He said "essential frontline posts have been protected" but the cost of running the public sector in its former scale had become "unsustainable", prompting the changes.

He said: "While it is recognised that we have a very good and robust public sector, it has grown by more than 2,000 headcount since 2018, which is an increase of 33%.

"This has contributed to a rise of more than 50% in the cost of running the public sector over the same period, a level of growth that the Government considers to be unsustainable.

"The growth in the public sector has stabilised, and the government is considering proposals that will reduce staff numbers further as required."