The French government will cut staff at most ministries by 2.5 percent annually for the coming three years to tighten public spending and balance public finances, the prime minister said on Thursday.

In a letter sent to the ministries, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said "the staff of the state will witness an overall stability. Job creation will be reserved for education, police and justice. Efforts of 2.5 percent reduction per year on other sectors will be needed to meet this goal of stability."

Ayrault also noted that government operating costs, which include car fleets and office supplies, would drop by 7 percent on average in 2013 versus 2012 without giving details on the value of the additional spending needed to reduce the budget deficit to 4.5 percent this year.

In previous report, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said the eurozone's second largest economy needs to find up to 10 billion euros (12.42 billion U.S. dollars) to achieve its financial commitments.

Taking office on May 16, Ayrault's ministrial staff started working with 30-percent pay cut, in a sign reflecting its commitment to monitor public spending and guarantee social welfare as promised by Francois Hollande, the Socialist president in 17 years.

The French government works to trim its public deficit to 3.0 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013, and to balance its books four years later. (1 euro = 1.242 U.S.dollars)