Government to fill 15,839 vacancies

The Cabinet has approved the recruitment of 15,839 new employees to various ministries and provincial councils to fill essential vacancies in the state sector. The government made this decision based on the recommendations provided by a special officers' committee appointed under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister's Secretary.

It was decided at the Cabinet meeting held on December 30, 2024, to appoint this committee to review the public service recruitment process and identify its needs and priorities. Accordingly, the main responsibility assigned to this committee was to submit recommendations regarding the essential recruitment numbers within an appropriate timeframe.

Requests submitted for filling vacancies in departments and other institutions under the relevant ministries were extensively considered at the relevant committee meeting held on February 12, 2026. Subsequently, after the recommendations provided by that committee were submitted to the Cabinet by the Honorable Prime Minister, approval was granted for the recruitment of these personnel.

Out of the total approved vacancies, the highest number of recruitments is planned for the Ministry of Defence, totaling 9,794. Additionally, 1,915 employees are to be recruited for the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, and 776 for the Ministry of Health and Mass Media.

These recruitments are planned as follows: 339 vacancies for the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation, 300 for the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, 214 for the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, 213 for the Ministry of Environment, and 201 for the Ministry of Science and Technology. Additionally, recruitments have been approved for 121 employees for the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, 112 for the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, 67 for the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, 66 for the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, 60 for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, and 50 for the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development.

Furthermore, vacancies are to be filled as follows: 15 for the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, 10 for the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, 9 for the Ministry of Plantations and Community Infrastructure, 6 for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, 3 for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, and 2 for the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. The Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Energy have each been approved for one vacancy.

Regarding the filling of vacancies in Provincial Councils, the highest number of vacancies is to be filled for the Northern Provincial Council, totaling 411. The Cabinet has further approved the filling of 401 vacancies for the North Western Provincial Council, 282 for the Eastern Provincial Council, 236 for the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, 146 for the Uva Provincial Council, 66 for the North Central Provincial Council, and 22 for the Central Provincial Council.