Finance Secretary comments on public sector employment

14 Mar 2012 12:22 PM

Public sector employment fell by 3.9 per cent over the year according to new statistics published yesterday.

Other findings from the Public Sector Employment in Scotland Q4 2011 show:

• There are 7,800 more people in private sector employment than in the fourth quarter of 2010, 42,300 more since Q4 2009, and 152,000 more than in Q4 1999;
• Excluding public sector financial institutions, public sector employment accounts for 22.5 per cent of total employment in Scotland, compared to 23.2 per cent last year and 24.2 per cent in Q4 1999;
• The private sector, including all financial institutions, now accounts for 77.5 per cent of Scottish employment, compared to 76.8 per cent in Q4 2010;
• Overall employment in Scotland in Q4 2011 was 188,000 higher than in Q4 1999;
• Over the year to Q4 2011, employment in devolved public bodies has decreased by 19,100 (3.7 per cent), driven by a decrease in local government employment;
• Employment in the devolved civil service fell by 6 per cent, or 1,100, over the year to 16,600;
• Employment in the NHS has increased by 2.8 per cent to 154,400 between Q4 2006 and Q4 2011.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said:

“In the face of severe spending cuts from Westminster, we have prioritised investment in frontline public services, including over 1,000 additional police officers in our communities since we came to office, and significantly more staff in the health service compared to the position we inherited.

"We are also setting an ambitious programme of public service reform, challenging the public sector to reshape, integrate and deliver the best possible services.”

Related information

The Public Sector Employment in Scotland statistics can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/03/2045