New Zealand's Finance Minister anticipates more public service job cuts due to a $12.9bn deficit.

New Zealand's Finance Minister Nicola Willis anticipates further job cuts in the public service as the government grapples with a $12.9 billion deficit. Since December 2022, 2,000 public service jobs have been lost, reducing total staff to 63,537. The government is cutting contractor spending and shifting resources to frontline roles, resulting in a decrease of clerical staff and policy advisors, while hiring more contact center workers and inspectors.