More departments have confirmed their voluntary redundancy figures since the start of 2026, with the employment department and the public service commission shedding dozens of staff.
Freshly published responses to questions by deputy opposition leader Jane Hume during Senate estimates have illuminated the scope of redundancies sweeping the public service between January and June 2026.
The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) approved 30 voluntary redundancies in that period, recording one of the highest proportional reductions.
The commission had offered 33 staff redundancies as of 13 May 2026.
The latest public service employment database showed that the commission had a headcount of 444 staff.
The 2024-25 and 2023-24 annual reports showed the commission paid just $1000 in separations and redundancies per year.
An APSC spokesperson said the voluntary redundancy program was carried out to align the commission's expenditure with its budget allocation.
"In the 2025/26 budget, the Commission's funding reduced, primarily due to terminating measures such as APS Reform," the spokesperson said.
"The Commission continues to engage and deliver across the APS in line with organisational priorities and its budget settings."
Meanwhile, the Department of Workplace and Employment Relations (DEWR) finalised 56 voluntary redundancies within the first three months of 2026.
The employment department paid out about $5.2 million in separations and redundancies in the 2024-25 financial year and about $267,000 in 2023-24.
A DEWR spokesperson said voluntary redundancies were a standard workforce tool that allowed used to align operations with government priorities.
"The department also uses internal mobility arrangements to support staff and retain skills within the APS," the spokesperson said, adding that DEWR's total employee headcount stood at 4200 as of June 30 this year.
The latest figures will be published in the department's 2025-26 annual report, released later in the year.
In the same portfolio, the Fair Work Ombudsman offered redundancies, with half of those staff possessing more than 10 years of experience and another six completing more than five years of service.
Further exit packages spanned the environmental portfolio, led by the Agriculture department with 15 voluntary redundancies, the Climate Change department with nine and eight at the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
The Prime Minister and Cabinet department offered eight voluntary redundancies.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade logged seven redundancies, while Defence and Treasury each approved five, alongside four at the Australian Taxation Office.
The Community and Public Sector Union's (CPSU) new secretary, Rebecca Fawcett, said the union was deeply concerned by the ongoing job cuts across the public service.
The union expressed concern over the pressure departures would have on remaining employees as a result of increased workloads.
"At the same time, agencies funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars into the pockets of big consulting firms," Ms Fawcett said.
"Significant savings can instead be made by the government stepping in and directing agencies to take seriously their obligations to reduce outsourcing and rebuild public sector capability. Until then, the CPSU will continue to fight to secure public sector work and in bringing APS jobs back inhouse where they belong."
In the lead up to the 2026-27 budget, Finance and Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher said she believed the public service was around the right size with staffing numbers dependent on government priorities.
Senator Gallagher said some staffing changes were due to different programs terminating as the funding ran out.
Ultimately, agency heads were responsible for managing their budgets and allocating resources, she said.
First published in Canberra Times on September 11, 2026 as 'More public servants exit as redundancy wave continues to sweep departments'
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