Treasury told every government department that it may not fill posts during 2026, apart from health, education and a small part of security. The reason given was the wage bill, which takes about fifty six of every hundred dollars the government spends. The civil service employs around 330,000 people and is the single biggest employer in the country. A freeze of this size removes the main entry route into formal work for school leavers and graduates for a full year.

A freeze on recruitment rather than a reduction, so no count applies. The civil service is reported at around 330,000 people.

Announced in a circular from the Secretary for Finance and Economic Development. The freeze applies to all sectors for 2026 except health, education and, to a limited extent, security.

An employer suspends recruitment across all or part of its operations for a stated period.

Evidence required: A written instruction, circular, budget statement or public announcement from the employer. Inference from a fall in advert volume is not sufficient and never creates an event.