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Public sector employment
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Public sector employment reached 3.4 million in the second quarter of 2008, up 3.1% from the same period in 2007. Public sector employment has been increasing at a steady pace since 2000 after years of decline throughout the 1990s. However, the proportion of public sector workers among the total employed in the labour force has remained relatively stable at about 19% since 2001.
In the second quarter of 2008, employment growth in the public sector was concentrated in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. For the last three years, Alberta's growth rate has outpaced that of all other provinces.
All major components of the public sector posted gains in the second quarter of 2008 compared with the same quarter last year.
Following years of decline in most of the 1990s for all three levels of general government, average employment has been growing since 2000. The growth rate in each of the federal and local general government has been twice that of the provincial and territorial governments.
The year-over-year employment growth in educational institutions (universities, colleges and school boards) has remained stable at about 2% over the past four years. During this time, Ontario accounted for over half of this growth.
Employment in health and social services institutions rose 2.4% in the second quarter of 2008 compared with the same quarter of 2007. This sector has been increasing at a steady pace in the past three years. Alberta was the main contributor, posting a 9.5% increase compared with the previous year.
Total public sector wages and salaries grew 4.9% compared with the same quarter last year.
Note: The public sector includes all economic entities controlled by government, and is comprised of four major components: federal government (general government, which includes ministries, departments, agencies and non-autonomous funds, autonomous funds and organizations, as well as federal non-autonomous pension plans); provincial and territorial government (general government, which includes ministries, departments, agencies and non-autonomous funds, autonomous funds and organizations, as well as universities and colleges, health and social services institutions, and provincial non-autonomous pension plans); local government (general government, which includes municipalities and non-autonomous funds, autonomous funds and organizations, as well as school boards); and government business enterprises (at the federal, provincial/territorial and local levels).
Available on CANSIM: tables 183-0002 and 183-0004.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 1713.
For a more detailed description of how public sector employment is defined and reconciled with other information sources, refer to the document entitled Reconciliation of Public Sector Employment Estimates from Multiple Information Sources by clicking on the survey number 1713.
Available on CANSIM: tables 183-0021 and 183-0022.
Data tables on public sector employment are also available in the National economic accounts module of our website.
For more information, or to order data, contact Client Services (613-951-0767; pid-info-dip@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Alain Baril (613-951-4131; alain.baril@statcan.gc.ca), Public Institutions Division.
Table(s).
