____________________
2007 Public Sector Employment
Report indicates Record Growth for Local Public Service Employees
Statscan - Public sector employment reached nearly 3.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, a gain of 2.5%, or 81,000, from the same quarter in 2006. It has been steadily increasing since 2000 after years of decline throughout the 1990s.
Public sector employment comprises all levels of general government, universities, colleges, school boards, health and social service institutions and government business enterprises.
The fourth-quarter increase was spread among all government sectors. The major contributors were educational institutions, with an increase of 29,000 employees, or 2.8%, over the fourth quarter of 2006. This growth was mainly concentrated in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.
General government employment amounted to just over 1.1 million, a gain of 2.4%, or 27,000. All three levels of general government contributed to this increase. Since 2000, however, federal and local government employment growth has outpaced that of the provincial and territorial governments.
Strong growth in the provincial administrations of Alberta and British Columbia was partly offset by a decrease in Quebec and New Brunswick.
Employment in health and social service institutions increased by 25,000, or 3.2%. Alberta accounted for over one-quarter of this growth.
Total public sector wages and salaries in the fourth quarter of 2007 were 3.3% higher than they were a year earlier.
| Public sector employment |
| |
Third quarter 2006 |
Fourth quarter 2006 |
Third quarter 2007 |
Fourth quarter 2007 |
| |
thousands |
| Public sector |
2,992 |
3,210 |
3,052 |
3,291 |
| General government |
1,148 |
1,114 |
1,166 |
1,141 |
| Federal |
386 |
380 |
387 |
391 |
| Provincial and territorial |
362 |
348 |
369 |
354 |
| Local |
400 |
386 |
410 |
395 |
| Educational institutions |
790 |
1,053 |
806 |
1,082 |
| Universities and colleges1 |
307 |
361 |
319 |
375 |
| School boards |
482 |
691 |
487 |
707 |
| Health and social service institutions |
789 |
784 |
814 |
809 |
| Government business enterprises |
265 |
260 |
265 |
260 |
| 1. | Includes vocational and trade institutions. |
| Note: | Numbers may not add up due to rounding. |
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