Recently, Radio Bremen reported that the University of Bremen is to cut 450 jobs over the next two years. This is incorrect. As has been known for some time, the University does have to cut a total of 130 jobs, namely 50 in technical and administrative areas and 82 in mid-level faculty.

Why has this downsizing become necessary? The University of Bremen is chronically underfinanced, and has subsequently been burdened by a budget deficit for several years. There is only one possibility to return to black figures, and that is to cut the number of jobs financed from its basic budget.

Each year, the University has to submit an establishment plan and accordant budget to the Bremen Senate: This is currently the topic of some heated public debate. The difference this year is the introduction of a formal adjustment to distinguish between jobs financed out of the basic budget and others financed through third-party funding and other sources. The bottom line is that the jobs financed from the overhead and third-party sources etc. now have to be assigned to the basic budget. This reallocation, though, will have no impact whatsoever on the actual number of jobs to be cut in future.

This year’s budget leaves no room for measures of economic management to offset the effects of wage increases and inflation. Indeed, the University will almost certainly continue to have a budget deficit. However, the foreseen cost-cutting measures are intended to at least lower this deficit and set the stage for a balanced budget by the year 2015.