Wellington's public sector workforce will take a hit. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Public servants' jobs are on the chopping block as the sector scrambles to meet the Finance Minister's cost-cutting targets. Find out how many jobs are going and where.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has directed ministries and agencies to slash expenditure by either 6.5 percent or 7.5 percent to help reduce annual public service spending by $1.5 billion.
And with many ministries yet to release their plans for the cuts, that number will only continue to grow. Minister for Regulation David Seymour previously indicated it could hit 7500.
Have you been affected by job cuts in the public sector? Contact us at hamish.cardwell@rnz.co.nz.
Here's what we know so far about job losses.
Department of Conservation (employs 2797 staff)
About 130 roles could go at the Department of Conservation, with a number of these already vacant positions.
Ministry for the Environment (employs 1068 staff)
The ministry has called for voluntary redundancies, and there could possibly be forced redundancies, numbering potentially into the hundreds, according to the PSA.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (employs 6650 staff)
MBIE has completed its first round of voluntary redundancies, with 111 staff already gone. The ministry soon extended the offer of voluntary redundancy to other departments.
On 4 March, it told RNZ it was consulting with staff about further redundancies. Its Digital, Data and Insights group was facing a proposal to disestablish a number of jobs, or force workers to reapply for a reduced number of roles, it said.
On 4 April, MBIE released a change proposal which suggested cutting 30 roles from its Information and Education team. The team handles 1.8 million customer interactions each week, and helps people and businesses to understand their rights and regulatory obligations.
Commerce Commission (employs 428 staff)
The agency is proposing to cut about 10 percent of its workforce - between 35 to 40 roles, RNZ understands.
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (employs 700 staff)
Up to 90 jobs are to go at Niwa, according to the PSA, with 30 of those currently vacant. Niwa said the cuts would have no impact on its core work, according to the union.
Ministry of Health (employs 806 staff)
It is proposing to cut 134 jobs in total - some of which are already vacant.
A quarter of all positions will be disestablished (271), while 137 new positions are proposed.
Consultation will close on 26 April and a final decision will be made in June.
Ministry of Social Development (employs 9482 staff)
The Ministry of Social Devlopment has called for voluntary redundancies in the service delivery, Māori communities and partnerships teams, as well as those in human resources, policy, strategy and communications. The PSA says the move could affect hundreds of workers.
Ministry for Primary Industries (employs 3767 staff)
It is proposing to cut around 231 staff.
Employees were informed by email that it wished to reduce staff numbers by an estimated 9 percent, including vacancies but also disestablishing roles.
In total, 384 roles would go, of which 40 percent were vacant.
Ministry for Pacific Peoples (employs 121 staff)
It is set to lose close to half of its staff. The PSA said the ministry informed staff it was considering shedding 63 positions. That included 32 people currently employed, and 31 vacant roles.
Ministry of Transport (employs 232 staff)
There has already been a net reduction of 24 roles across the organisation, most of which were vacant, said chief executive Audrey Sonerson.
The ministry made a number of staff redundant and got rid of vacancies it had been struggling to fill, and did not intend to make further staffing changes at this stage, she said.
The Treasury (employs 650 staff)
Treasury has proposed axing 50 jobs by disestablishing roles, ending fixed term contracts and closing vacancies.
Final numbers cannot be confirmed until budget decisions are announced in May.
Customs (employs 1366 staff)
Thirty-three Customs staff have accepted voluntary redundancy or early retirement. The service is still considering further options to help meet the required savings, including reviewing existing vacancies, it said.
Crown Law Office (employs 229 staff)
At Crown Law, 17 roles will be disestablished. Of those, nine were currently vacant - meaning eight people would lose their jobs, which was about 3.5 percent of its staff.
Crown Law said the new structure would be in place from 1 July.
Ministry for Ethnic Communities (employs 77 staff)
The ministry has begun consultations about reducing the number of permanent staff by 14 percent and its work out of regional government offices in Hamilton, New Plymouth, Napier and Dunedin.
The Public Service Association told RNZ it was not clear how many jobs would be lost, but it understood it could be around nine - with 32 roles to be disestablished, and replaced with 23 new roles.
Callaghan Innovation (employs 382 staff)
On 8 April, Callaghan Innovation said about 30 FTE science and engineering jobs in its Innovation Expertise Hapū were being consulted on.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment-funded research organisation said it had not been asked to make a specific percentage of savings, but its board had directed a refocus on its original purpose, which was to support industry-led science and technology-based innovation - and its commercialisation.
The agency employed 382 FTE staff, meaning the proposed changes could affect just under 8 percent of its workforce. A final decision is expected in May or June.
Still to come: DIA and Oranga Tamariki
The Department of Internal Affairs is still to announce its plans for cuts, and the following week Oranga Tamariki will do the same, the Public Service Association confirmed.
* RNZ's job loss numbers are based on statements from the ministries and the PSA. Total staff numbers are based on Public Service Commission figures from 31 December 2023.
