Govt. approves over 62,000 new State sector jobs in eight months

Wednesday, 13 August 2025 00:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday announced that the new Government has approved 62,314 State sector cadre positions during the past eight months.

Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday, he said the recruitment process is already underway. “Some have already been recruited, exams are being held for others, and interviews are ongoing for the rest,” he noted.

Dr. Jayatissa explained that the decision to expand State sector recruitment was taken to address existing vacancies in various Ministries, in contrast to the previous Government’s policy of shrinking the public service to reduce the Budget deficit.

According to him, the Defence Ministry has received approval to fill 12,433 positions, while the Media and Health Ministries have been allocated 11,888 positions, including Government Medical Officers.

Defending the move, Dr. Jayatissa said the recruitments are being carried out “scientifically” in line with the Government’s long-term vision to digitalise the economy. “We don’t recruit based on physical attributes like height. Recruitment is guided by economic conditions, the availability of vacancies and candidates’ qualifications,” he stressed.

Dr. Jayatissa also urged undergraduates not to engage in protests over job opportunities, advising them instead to monitor official announcements and apply for vacancies relevant to their fields.