The public service slims down, but pay rates rose faster than the private sector

Finance Minister Nicola Willis expects public servant numbers to continue to fall. (Image: NZME)

Thu, 10 Oct 2024

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the brakes have been put on contractor and consultant spending, while the number of public servants is expected to continue to fall.She was commenting on workforce data for the June year that the Public Service Commission released on Thursday.Agencies have reduced operational expenditures (Opex) on contractors and consultants by $274 million, which is within the scope of its target of reducing Opex by $400m.Heavy liftingHowever, the core public service departments did most of the heavy lifting towards that go...

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