Scotland's Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth has acknowledged that the Scottish National Party's plans to reduce public sector staffing have stalled, admitting the strategy is currently "off course". Rather than shrinking the workforce as planned, Scotland's public sector actually grew by 6,640 employees in the year to June 2026. This reversal significantly increases the risk of major cuts to frontline services as the Scottish Government confronts a £4.7 billion spending gap by 2029/30.

The Scottish Government had aimed to reduce public sector staffing by 0.5 per cent annually until 2030, yet instead experienced a 1.1 per cent increase year-on-year. Scotland's public sector workforce now totals 603,800 employees, representing 23 per cent of all jobs in the country, with NHS employment rising by 2 per cent and local government by 0.9 per cent. Gilruth acknowledged the Scottish Government itself must "get its own house in order" and work collectively across the public sector to reduce headcount, though she was unable to specify concrete measures needed to achieve the originally planned 2.5 per cent cut by 2029/30.