Civil Service Hiring Freeze Extended

Jersey Government Extends Civil Service Hiring Freeze to 2026

Jersey’s government has expanded and extended its civil service recruitment freeze, which will now remain in place until the end of March 2026 and apply to a wider range of roles.

Initially introduced in August 2023 to rein in public spending, the freeze originally targeted senior non-essential, non-frontline positions earning £66,000 or more (Civil Service Grade 11 and above). The updated policy now includes roles with annual salaries of £53,589 or more (Grade 9), and extends to most non-clinical positions in Health and Education. Clinical, teaching, and social work posts remain exempt.

According to the government, the freeze has already led to the removal of 1,000 unfilled vacancies, saving millions of pounds while protecting key frontline services.

“This isn’t a redundancy programme,” a government spokesperson said, emphasising that the focus remains on redirecting recruitment toward essential sectors like healthcare and education. “We’re prioritising career progression and retaining skilled staff.”

Deputy Malcolm Ferey, Vice-Chair of the States Employment Board, said the extended policy is delivering on promises to reduce public sector growth and make better use of local talent.

“This government pledged to focus on frontline staff and cut down reliance on agency workers,” he said. “The policy is working, and we want to keep building on those gains for the benefit of islanders and taxpayers.”