Civil service remains understaffed

PHILIPSBURG – The government organization currently employs 1,822 civil servants, but all departments struggle with staff shortages it appears from an overview in the draft 2018 budget. If all positions the civil service requires were filled, the government would have 2,525 people on the payroll. In other words, the civil service is formally 27.8 percent understaffed.

It is not likely that all these positions are going to be filled any time soon because already the payroll takes up close to 40 percent of the country’s budget. The seven ministries and the high councils of state have budgeted 124 vacancies for this year; if they all get filled, the civil service will expand to 1,946.

The justice department is the largest employer within the government with 551 civil servants, but it has a record 278 vacancies. This year it has budgeted to fill 6 of those open spots.

The second largest employer, the Ministry of General Affairs has 344 civil servants – and 97 vacancies. This ministry wants to fill 10 open positions this year.

Third on the list is the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport; currently it has 294 employees but there are 94 vacancies. The ministry wants to fill 28 of those positions in 2018.

These are the numbers for the other ministries (current number of employees – vacancies – vacancies budgeted to be  filled this year): High Councils of State and parliament 66 – 8 – 4; Ministry of Tourism and Economic Affairs: 173 – 61 – 35; Ministry of Finance: 150 – 66 – 18;  Ministry of Public Health: 139 – 56 – 14; Ministry of Vromi: 105 – 43 – 9;

If all vacancies budgeted for 2018 are filled they will add a bit more than 13 million guilders to the already impressive payroll.