BUSINESSDevelopments · · Source: Semafor
Netherlands plans to cut 25,000 civil service jobs – with AI
The Dutch government plans to cut around 25,000 civil service jobs – more than 15% of the workforce – according to a Semafor report from October 27, 2026. The cuts are part of savings the government expects from artificial intelligence.
What we know
According to Semafor, the job cuts are part of the government's AI-related savings plans. The cabinet is due to present concrete plans for using AI in government soon. Whether the jobs will go through attrition or layoffs, and over what period, hasn't been announced.
Background
The Dutch civil service has grown quickly in recent years. DutchNews, citing the newspaper De Telegraaf, reports that the number of civil servants rose from 140,000 in 2021 to 170,000. The number of policy officials nearly doubled over a decade. AI is expected to save an extra €200 million in each of 2028 and 2029.
An advisory committee on the future of the civil service stresses that digitalisation and AI will only make government more efficient if the growing pile of rules and checks is tackled at the same time.
Not just the Netherlands
Semafor reports that New Zealand is considering a similar move. That makes this one of the first times several countries have explicitly named AI as a reason for cutting public-sector jobs.
What this means for you
- AI is increasingly named openly as a way to cut costs – not just as a productivity tool. Expect this debate in other countries soon.
- The committee's caveat applies to every business: putting AI on top of clumsy processes doesn't make them better.
- For professionals: people who use AI confidently themselves are more likely to shape these changes than be shaped by them.
Luigi's take
What convinces me most in this story is the advisory committee's point: AI only helps if you clean up rules and processes at the same time. I see the same in companies. If you speed up a bad process with AI, you end up with a faster bad process.
For executives, I take two things from this. First, communicate openly what AI will be used for before rumours set the mood. Second, simplify the work first, then automate it. For employees, the best protection is the same as ever: learn the new tools early instead of waiting for others to decide.
Source
Semafor: Netherlands to slash state jobs as part of AI-related savings
More sources
- DutchNews.nl – Hintergrund zu Personalentwicklung und geplanten Einsparungen (nach De Telegraaf)
This article was researched and written with AI assistance. Responsible: Luigi Lugmayr.
