This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Public sector employment figures
13/09/2006
Statistics on those employed in the public sector in Scotland up to Quarter 2 of 2006 are published today.
The main points:
Public and Private Sector Employment in Scotland(Headcount)
In quarter 2 (Q2) 2006, there were 585,600 people employed in the public sector and 1,873,400 people employed in the private sector in Scotland.
Public sector employment in Scotland consists of Local Government including police and fire and related services (55.2 per cent), NHS (25.8 per cent), Civil Service (9.0 per cent), Public Corporations (4.6 per cent), Non Departmental Public Bodies (2.5 per cent) and Armed Forces (2.3 per cent).
Public sector employment has increased by 58,300 (11.0 per cent) since Q2 1999 and by 4,700 (0.8 per cent) since Q2 2005. The largest increase since 1999 was within Local Government (30,300) including education services, social work services and fire and police services.
The public sector currently accounts for 23.8 per cent of employment in Scotland which has increased from 23.1 per cent in Q2 1999 and 23.7 per cent in Q2 2005.
Local Government (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
Total full-time equivalent employment in Local Government (excluding Police, Fire and related services) was 232,800 in Q2 2006. This figure comprises: 56,800 teachers; 35,900 other education staff; 44,100 social work staff and 96,100 other staff.
In Q2 2006 total employment in police and related services was 23,500 and total employment in fire and related services was 5,600.
The number of teachers employed within Local Government has increased by 5.6 per cent since Q2 1999 and by 1.2 per cent since Q2 2005.
Other Education staff within Local Government has increased by 54.4 per cent since Q2 1999 and by 0.6 per cent since Q2 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 26.5 per cent since Q2 1999 but decreased by 0.2 per cent since Q2 2005.
The number of police and related services staff has increased by 18.7 per cent since Q2 1999 and by 3.7 per cent since Q2 2005.
The number of fire and related services staff has increased by 3.6 per cent since Q2 1999 and by 1.8 per cent since Q2 2005.
The number of other Local Government staff has decreased by 2.1 per cent since Q2 1999 and is at a similar level as Q2 2005.
Civil Service in Scotland(Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
The total number of full-time equivalent Civil Servants employed in Scotland was 49,300 in Q2 2006. This is an increase of 7.3 per cent since Q2 1999 and an increase of 0.8 per cent since Q2 2005.
In Q2 2006 there were 15,600 permanent staff employed by the Scottish Executive and its associated agencies. This is an increase of 14.1 per cent since Q2 1999 and an increase of 0.7 per cent since Q2 2005.
In Q2 2006 there were 32,400 permanent staff employed by other Civil Service Departments and Agencies in Scotland. This is an increase of 5.5 per cent since Q2 1999 and an increase of 0.3 per cent since Q2 2005.
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 39,100 in Q2 2006. This is an increase of 5.1 per cent since Q2 1999 but a decrease of 5.2 per cent since Q2 2005.
In Q2 2006 there were 25,500 FTE staff employed by Public Corporations. This is a decrease of 6.2 per cent since Q2 1999 and a decrease of 7.6 per cent since Q2 2005.
In Q2 2006 there were 13,600 FTE staff employed by NDPBs. This is an increase of 36.1 per cent since Q2 1999 but a decrease of 0.1 per cent since Q2 2005.
The figures cover all of the public sector as defined by UK National Accounts. The data provided is 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.
The statistics 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. 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.