Scottish Government

PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT IN SCOTLAND: STATISTICS FOR 1 ^st QUARTER 2006

Statistics News Release

Telephone: 0131-244-1111

June 30, 2006

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00515

This news release provides statistics on those employed in the public sector in Scotland up to Quarter 1 of 2006. This 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 is also the official release of Scottish Local Government employment statistics. These were previously published by the Executive in the Joint Staffing Watch Survey. More detailed statistics on Local Government employment are available at www.scotland.gov.uk/jointstaffingwatch or on request.

The statistics in this release are based on administrative records and surveys of individual public sector organisations. These surveys are carried out by the Scottish Executive and the Office for National Statistics ( ONS). An estimate of private sector employment is also included in this release. This is derived as the difference between the Labour Force Survey employment estimate for the whole of Scotland (not seasonally adjusted) and the public sector estimate.

ONS will also be publishing quarterly public sector employment statistics for the UK on 30 June 2006. These can be found on the National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk

Any comments on the presentation of these statistics should be sent to labour-market.statistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. Selected individual elements of this series are classified as National Statistics. More information on this can be found in the notes for news editors.

The statistics in this release will be produced quarterly.

MAIN POINTS

Public and Private Sector Employment in Scotland (Headcount)

• In quarter 1 (Q1) 2006, there were 586,400 people employed in the public sector and 1,878,600 people employed in the private sector in Scotland.
• Public sector employment in Scotland consists of Local Government including police and fire and related services (55.3%), NHS (25.6%), Civil Service (8.8%), Public Corporations (4.9%), Non Departmental Public Bodies (2.4%) and Armed Forces (2.3%).
• Public sector employment has increased by 58,800 (11.2%) since Q1 1999 and by 10,100 (1.8%) since Q1 2005. The largest increase since 1999 was within Local Government (31,000) including education services, social work services and fire and police services.
• The public sector currently accounts for 23.8% of employment in Scotland which has increased from 23.1% in Q1 1999 and 23.6% in Q1 2005.

Chart 1 Public and Private Sector Employment in Scotland, 1999-2006

Chart 2 Breakdown of Public Sector Employment in Scotland, Q1 2006

Local Government (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)

• Total full-time equivalent employment in Local Government (excluding Police, Fire and related services) was 233,500 in Q1 2006. This figure comprises: 57,200 teachers; 36,000 other education staff; 44,600 social work staff and 95,900 other staff.
• In Q1 2006 total employment in police and related services was 23,400 and total employment in fire and related services was 5,700.
• The number of teachers employed within Local Government has increased by 5.4% since Q1 1999 and by 0.3% since Q1 2005.
• Other Education staff within Local Government has increased by 53.9% since Q1 1999 and by 5.6% since Q1 2005. Other Education staff include other staff within schools such as classroom assistants, music instructors, laboratory assistants, library staff, clerical staff etc.
• The number of Social Work staff working within Local Government has increased by 27.6% since Q1 1999 but decreased by 0.3% since Q1 2005.
• The number of police and related services staff has increased by 18.2% since Q1 1999 and by 3.5% since Q1 2005.
• The number of fire and related services staff has increased by 4.8% since Q1 1999 and by 3.1% since Q1 2005.
• The number of other Local Government staff has decreased by 1.3% since Q1 1999 but increased by 1.0% since Q1 2005.

Chart 3 Employment in Local Government in Scotland, 1999-2006

Civil Service in Scotland (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)

• The total number of full-time equivalent Civil Servants employed in Scotland was 48,700 in Q1 2006. This is an increase of 5.6% since Q1 1999 and an increase of 0.3% since Q1 2005.
• In Q1 2006 there were 15,400 permanent staff employed by the Scottish Executive and its associated agencies. This is an increase of 13.8% since Q1 1999 and an increase of 0.5% since Q1 2005.
• In Q1 2006 there were 31,300 permanent staff employed by other Civil Service Departments and Agencies in Scotland. This is an increase of 1.5% since Q1 1999 but a decrease of 1.4% on Q1 2005.

Chart 4 Breakdown of Scottish Executive and Associated Agencies, Q1 2006

Chart 5 Breakdown of Other Civil Service in Scotland, Q1 2006

Non Departmental Public Bodies ( NDPBs) and Public Corporations (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)

• Changes in the number of staff employed within NDPBs and Public Corporations are caused by changes in the number, scope and classification of NDPBs and Public Corporations as well as increases in staff within organisations.
• The total number of full-time equivalent staff working in NDPBs and Public Corporations was 40,400 in Q1 2006. This is an increase of 8.7% since Q1 1999 but a decrease of 1.7% since Q1 2005.
• In Q1 2006 there were 27,100 FTE staff employed by Public Corporations. This is a decrease of 0.7% since Q1 1999 and a decrease of 3.2% since Q1 2005.
• In Q1 2006 there were 13,300 FTE staff employed by NDPBs. This is an increase of 34.4% since Q1 1999 and an increase of 1.5% since Q1 2005.

Chart 6 Employment in Public Corporations and NDPBs in Scotland, 1999-2006

NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS

1. This regular series of quarterly Scottish Public Sector Employment First Releases results from the work of a cross-departmental project, led by ONS, to improve the quality and timeliness of public sector employment statistics. This publication includes the first publication of data for Quarter 1 2006. Historical data for some areas of public sector employment have been modelled using available data. Some figures from previous publications have been revised. For more information see paragraph 16.

2. An article setting out the full details of the improvements being made to estimates of public sector employment across the UK is accessible on the National Statistics website at the following address: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/article.asp?ID=1095

RESULTS FOR QUARTERS PRIOR TO Q1 2005

3. Public sector data prior to Q1 2005 are based partly on estimates as actual data for all quarters are not available. Estimates prior to Q1 2005 are calculated based on available data for the following areas and time periods:

• Quarters 2, 3 and 4 of each year prior to 2005 for the Civil Service excluding Ministry of Defence
• Quarters 1, 2 and 4 of each year for the NHS
• Quarters 1, 3 and 4 of each year prior to 2005 for the armed forces
• All quarters prior to Q4 2004 for NDPBs and Public Corporations

CONCEPTS, SOURCES AND DEFINITIONS

4. The public sector comprises central government, local government, and public corporations as defined for the UK National Accounts. The Sector Classifications Guide (MA23) provides information on the classification of organisations and institutions in the National Accounts. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/SearchRes.asp?term=ma23

5. Central government includes all administrative departments of government and other central agencies and non-departmental public bodies ( NDPBs). This sector also includes HM Forces and the NHS. NDPBs within this publication are those defined within National Accounts as NDPBs and include both Scottish NDPBs and UKNDPBs with employees in Scotland. Advisory NDPBs are also included in this publication.

6. Since the last publication of this series further UKNDPBs with staff in Scotland have been identified and have been added into these statistics. These are added into the data from Q1 1999 onwards. The extra NDPBs which are now included are:

Construction Industry Training Board
Medical Research Council
Sea Fish Industry Authority
Equal Opportunities Commission
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Community Development Foundation
Commission for Racial Equality
Disability Rights Commission

7. Data on NHS employment in Scotland for Q4 2005 and Q1 2006 has been estimated using projections based on previous data. Information on employment in the NHS in Scotland can be found on the Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland's website at: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?pParentID=799&pContentID=1346&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&

8. According to the National Accounts definition of the public sector General Medical Practitioners ( GMP) and General Dental Practitioners ( GDP) are not included in the public sector and are therefore not included in the figures in the publication. However data on GMPs and GDPs are available and the table below shows the most recent data available.

Data on GMPs and GDPs as at September 2005

Source: ISD Scotland website

9. Local government comprises all government units with a local remit. It includes: Education teaching staff and Education other staff; Social Workers; Police and related services; Fire and related services; and other staff. Other staff contains: corporate services; central support; planning and economic development; housing; roads and transport; arts, sports and leisure; libraries, museums and galleries; trading standards; staff of district court; environmental services; Direct Labour Organisation ( DLO); Direct Service Organisation ( DSO) staff and National Parks staff. Joint Staffing Watch Survey data is collected based on those employed by Local Government organisations. Due to definitional issues, this data may differ from other sources of information for the individual sectors of Local Government. More information on these definitional issues can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/03/20889/55029

10. Public corporations are companies or quasi-corporations controlled by government. Examples include British Nuclear Fuels plc and Post Office Ltd. These companies receive more than half their income from sales of goods or services into the market place.

11. Public Corporations within this publication include Scottish Public Corporations and UK Public Corporations with a presence in Scotland. Data for the UK Public Corporations with a presence in Scotland are estimated based on UK data and business survey information. The UK Public Corporations included in this data are:

Civil Aviation Authority
British Waterways
The Crown Estate Commissioners
Post Office LTD
Horse Race Totalisator Board
Driving Standards Agency
Qinetiq LTD
Vehicle and Operator Services
Ordinance Survey
Defence Aviation Repair Agency
Army Base Repair Organisation
N.A.A.F.I.
The British Council
Remploy LTD
British Nuclear Fuels PLC
OFCOM
Magnox Electric PLC
Channel Four Television Corporation
British Energy LTD
British Energy Generation ( UK) LTD

12. A recent review of the BBC's status in National Accounts determined that the BBC should no longer be classified as a public corporation but instead is now classified as Central Government. This classification has been backdated to 1946. For this reason BBC has been removed from the Public Corporations data in this publication but is still included in the total estimate of public sector. Data on the BBC employment in Scotland is estimated based on UK data and business survey information.

13. Headcount estimates are based on the number of employees with an employment contract who are being paid by the organisation. Employees can be permanent, on a fixed-term contract or employed on a casual basis. Self-employed, contract workers, and agency workers are excluded.

14. As well as the headcount estimates, estimates have also been produced for the number of employees on a full-time equivalent ( FTE) basis. This is based on converting part-time employees' hours into a full-time employee equivalent, and provides a better indicator of total labour input than a simple headcount.

15. Tables 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b contain data on Civil Service permanent staff only. The totals for Civil Service in tables 2 and 3 also include casual staff.

16. The statistics published here are derived from the relevant departments and devolved governments plus comprehensive quarterly surveys of the home Civil Service, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, and Public Corporations, carried out by ONS. The following list shows the data sources used to calculate total public sector employment.

Sources of Public Sector Employment estimates

Central Government

Department for Work and Pensions - Direct and Civil Service Statistics, Cabinet Office
Department for International Development - Direct and Civil Service Statistics, Cabinet Office
HM revenue and Customs - Direct and Civil Service Statistics, Cabinet Office
Other Central Government - Civil Service Statistics, Cabinet Office

Local Government

Education Teachers - Joint Staffing Watch Survey
Education Others - Joint Staffing Watch Survey
Police and Related Services - Joint Staffing Watch Survey
Fire and Related Services - Joint Staffing Watch Survey
Social Work - Joint Staffing Watch Survey
Other staff - Joint Staffing Watch Survey

Revisions

17. Data in this publication are revised where appropriate. These revisions are generally caused by revisions to other sources of data, such as the Labour Force Survey due to new population estimates, and revisions to the projections in health data, as actual data becomes available. However some revisions are unforeseen due to revisions in survey estimates provided to the Office for National Statistics and revisions based on more up to date data. All revisions are highlighted in the data tables.

18. A revisions policy outlining the timings of the different planned revisions is being developed. This will be published with the next quarters Public Sector Employment release.

Future Publications

19. In future, public sector employment statistics will be published every quarter and the release timetable will be pre-announced in National Statistics Updates. The next quarterly first release will be published in September 2006.

20. Work is currently ongoing to make this publication a National Statistics publication.

General

21. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available from the press office. Also available is a list of the names of those given pre-publication access to the contents of this release.

Further details are available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00515

Statistical Contact: David McPhee 0141 242 5451
Press Contact: Karen McNally: 0131 244 2967

Date: June 30, 2006