Government staffing increases planned in Germany and Switzerland

In Germany, the federal government is planning for 310,487 positions in the federal administration by 2027, representing a 4.1 percent increase compared to 2024. According to the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM), this growth is driven primarily by the civil service sector, particularly in security and defense. Personnel expenditures are projected to rise to 51.62 billion euros by 2027. The INSM noted that while a coalition agreement aimed to reduce staff by 8 percent, achieving this would require significant reductions of approximately 18,000 positions annually in 2028 and 2029.

In Switzerland, the Federal Council is planning hundreds of new positions for security sectors, including the army, border guard, and federal police. However, the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (BBL) has warned that there are currently no confirmed solutions for where these new employees will be accommodated. The BBL indicated that the lack of workspace planning poses a risk that newly approved positions may not have physical offices available.