UN Plans 6,900 Job Cuts Amid Growing Budget Crisis
Photo by Bernd Dittrich
Work News | New Stardom
The United Nations is preparing to cut up to 6,900 jobs, roughly 20% of its Secretariat workforce, by 2026 as part of a sweeping cost-cutting plan outlined in an internal memo this week. The reductions follow a sustained liquidity crisis driven largely by delayed or unpaid financial contributions from key member states.
The United States, which typically funds 22% of the UN’s core budget, currently owes nearly $1.5 billion in unpaid contributions, while China, which is responsible for 20%, made late payments in 2024. Combined, both countries account for over 40% of UN funding.
UN Controller Chandramouli Ramanathan instructed department heads to submit proposed staffing cuts by June 13, targeting overlapping, duplicative, or non-critical positions. The job cuts would take effect with the new budget cycle beginning January 1, 2026.
The planned cuts are part of a larger overhaul branded UN80, an initiative led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to make the UN “fit for purpose” in a challenging fiscal and geopolitical environment. Guterres has warned that “painful” decisions lie ahead, including department mergers, consolidations, and moving operations to lower-cost locations.
The Secretariat currently employs around 35,000 staff worldwide, primarily in New York, Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi. The proposed staff reduction would be one of the most significant workforce contractions in recent UN history.
U.S. foreign aid cuts under the Trump administration have already forced several UN humanitarian programs to shut down, with broader impacts expected if funding levels remain uncertain. Diplomats suggest the restructuring may also be an attempt to demonstrate fiscal responsibility in hopes of easing pressure from Washington.
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