Jersey's government says spending on consultants and temporary workers has more than halved in three years.
The total for the first half this year (2026) was £16.7 million, compared to almost £40 million in the first six month of 2023.
Getting a grip on the huge sums paid to third parties was one of the targets for Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham when he took office in January 2024.
Publishing the latest data, the government says there has been 'sustained progress', with a 58% drop on the equivalent period three years ago.
Read: Jersey's government spent £123m on consultants, fixed-term and agency staff
The £16.7m bill for January-June 2026 covers specialist advice to fill gaps in in-house knowledge, short-term workers for specific projects or to cover peak demand or sickness.
For example, an increase in contingent labour costs for H1 2026 was driven by Digital Services programmes to 'address technical debt,
improve cyber security, modernise critical systems and replace ageing infrastructure.
The government says: "These programmes require specialist skills that are not readily available within the permanent workforce and
are time-limited in nature."
Senator Farnham says there is now more scrutiny and new approval processes before taking on third parties as part of wider reforms to shrink the public sector and tighten spending.
“This is about building a stronger and more cost-effective public service with greater in-house capability to provide the services Islanders rely on every day.”
An ongoing recruitment freeze on non-essential roles has been in place since 2024.
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