Government recruitment freeze continues into 2027
BBCJersey's government has extended its hiring freeze to non-essential staff into 2027.
The government said it would not hire any non-frontline staff across all public service departments to continue its commitment to reducing its workforce.
In 2024 Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said the government would cut the number of civil servants, which had grown by more than 2,500 between 2020 and 2025, by implementing the recruitment freeze.
As of June 2026 the government said it had 8,945 employees - a decrease of 4.7% over the past year, which demonstrated its "continued focus on protecting essential frontline services while maintaining tight control over recruitment".
The government started its recruitment freeze in August 2024 when it was implemented for non-essential senior roles.
It was expanded in April 2025 with the latest freeze involving all non-essential roles.
Last week, Senator Farnham said artificial intelligence could help to improve public services without putting existing jobs at risk.
Vice-chair of the States Employment Board Deputy Malcolm Ferey said the decrease showed the government was "delivering on our commitment to limit growth in the size of government while ensuring islanders continue to receive the healthcare, education and other essential services they rely on".
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