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Public sector employment in Scotland
17/06/2009
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published statistics on Public Sector Employment in Scotland.
The publication provides statistics up to Quarter 1 (Q1) of 2009 and covers all of the public sector as defined by UK National Accounts. This release provides a complete quarterly series from Quarter 1 1999 onwards. The quarterly data in this publication are not seasonally adjusted and therefore comparisons between years should only be made for the same quarter.
This publication also includes employment levels across the 199 public bodies that are the focus of the Scottish Government's Simplification programme. This information shows employment levels at the baseline position of October 2007 (or the nearest public sector employment snapshot date, Q3 2007) and Q1 2009.
The reclassification of Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) and Lloyds Banking Group to the public sector was announced on February 19, 2009, to take effect from October 13, 2008. As a result, these two banking groups have been included in the public sector employment series for the first time this quarter (Q1 2009).
Revisions have also been made to last quarter's (Q4 2008) public sector employment estimates to include these two banking groups. Both RBS and Lloyds Banking Group have been included in a new category known as 'Public Sector Financial Institutions' along with Northern Rock which has already been included in the series from Q4 2007 following its earlier nationalisation. In Q1 2009, there were 43,700 people employed in these Public Sector Financial Institutions (RBS, Lloyds Banking Group and Northern Rock).
The main findings from Quarter 1 2009 are:
- In Q1 2009, there were 623,300 people employed in the public sector. This is an increase of 96,000 (18.2 per cent) since Q1 1999 and an increase of 47,100 (8.2 per cent) since Q1 2008. The large increase in public sector employment over the year is caused by the reclassification of RBS and Lloyds Banking Group as public corporations.
- Total public sector employment currently accounts for 24.9 per cent of total employment in Scotland. This has increased from 23.1 per cent in Q1 1999 and increased from 22.6 per cent in Q1 2008.
- If we exclude public sector financial institutions from the series, there would be 579,600 people employed in the public sector, an increase of 3,400 (0.6 per cent) over the year. The public sector, excluding the financial corporations, currently accounts for 23.1 per cent of total employment in Scotland.
- Since Q1 2008, employment in public bodies devolved to Scotland has increased by 2,300 (0.5 per cent). This includes an increase of 3,600 in NHS bodies (2.3 per cent).
- During the same time employment in public bodies which are the responsibility of the UK Government has increased by 44,800 (65.2 per cent). Although if we exclude the public sector financial institutions, employment in UK-wide public bodies has increased by 1,100 (1.5 per cent) over the year.
- Of the total 623,300 people employed in the public sector, 81.7 per cent (509,300) work in public bodies devolved to Scotland. The remaining 18.2 per cent (113,400) work in public bodies which are the responsibility of the UK Government and 0.1 per cent (520) work in the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body.
- Devolved public sector bodies currently account for 20.3 per cent of total employment in Scotland.
- Total full-time equivalent employment in Local Government (excluding Police, Fire and related services) was 227,500 in Q1 2009. This figure comprises: 57,200 teachers; 36,900 other education staff; 46,000 social work staff and 87,400 other staff.
This publication is also the official release of Scottish Local Government employment statistics. These were previously published by the Scottish Government in the Joint Staffing Watch Survey.