The government plans to save a total of €540 million in public administration by 2030, with 20 percent of that amount to be reinvested in digitalization, the state secretariat of Alexander Pröll (ÖVP) confirmed to APA. Through downsizing—particularly retirements—the general civil service workforce is to be reduced by around six percent by 2029. This corresponds to roughly 2,600 full-time positions.
Assessment by summer
According to the government, the cumulative savings potential will amount to about €540 million by 2030, followed by annual savings of roughly €250 million thereafter. By 2030, €108 million is to be invested in digitalization. This will represent “a significant step toward a future-ready public administration,” the responsible state secretariat under Pröll said. State Secretary Michaela Schmid (SPÖ) and NEOS parliamentary group leader Yannick Shetty also expressed support for the proposal submitted to the Cabinet.
As a first step, a comprehensive assessment of current staffing and recruitment procedures will be carried out by June 2026. Based on this, concrete proposals for the measures agreed in the government program will be developed, involving independent experts as well as representatives of employees.
Excluded areas
According to the government, external hiring of people with a disability level of 60 percent or higher will continue to be exempt from the savings measures. In addition, there will be no cuts affecting law enforcement, the judiciary, teaching staff, or the military.
