Public sector employment

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Public sector employment reached 3.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, up by 96,000 or 2.9% over the same period in 2007.

Public sector workers accounted for 19.2% of total employed in the labour force, compared with 18.8% for the same quarter in 2007. This increase was due mainly to slower employment growth in the overall labour force.

Fourth-quarter employment gains in the public sector were concentrated in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, which accounted for nearly three-quarters of total growth.

The increase in employment was spread among all components of the public sector. The main contributors were government business enterprises, where employment was up 25,000 compared with the same quarter of 2007.

Employment increased 4.7% among local general governments and 3.5% in the federal general government. Both outpaced the growth of 2.2% in provincial general governments. Since 2000, there has been an upward trend in employment for all three levels of general government, with local general government registering the strongest growth.

Employment in educational institutions increased in the fourth quarter, mainly because of gains in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Employment rose 2.9% in colleges and 1.4% in school boards, with minimal change in universities.

Health and social services institutions had 18,000 more employees in the fourth quarter of 2008. Quebec and Alberta each contributed nearly one-third of this growth.

Total public sector wages and salaries rose by 4.3% compared with the fourth quarter in 2007.

Note: All historical data in the text refers to the fourth quarter of every year. The public sector includes all economic entities controlled by government, and is comprised of four major components: the three levels of government (federal, provincial and territorial and local); each has a general government component comprising ministries, departments, agencies and non-autonomous funds, autonomous funds and organizations, and non-autonomous pension plans; provincial and territorial government also includes universities and colleges, and health and social service institutions; local government also includes school boards; and the fourth component government business enterprises, which are institutional units controlled by government but which operate as commercial corporations in the marketplace. Persons hired for a few days for the October 2008 federal election are not included in these public sector employment statistics.

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 survey number 1713.

Available on CANSIM: tables 183-0021 and 183-0022.

Data tables on public sector employment are also available from the National economic accounts module of our website.

For more information or to order data, contact Client Services (613-951-0767; fe-pid-dipinfo@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.

Public sector employment

Public sector employment reached 3.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, up by 96,000 or 2.9% over the same period in 2007.

Public sector workers accounted for 19.2% of total employed in the labour force, compared with 18.8% for the same quarter in 2007. This increase was due mainly to slower employment growth in the overall labour force.

Fourth-quarter employment gains in the public sector were concentrated in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, which accounted for nearly three-quarters of total growth.

The increase in employment was spread among all components of the public sector. The main contributors were government business enterprises, where employment was up 25,000 compared with the same quarter of 2007.

Employment increased 4.7% among local general governments and 3.5% in the federal general government. Both outpaced the growth of 2.2% in provincial general governments. Since 2000, there has been an upward trend in employment for all three levels of general government, with local general government registering the strongest growth.

Employment in educational institutions increased in the fourth quarter, mainly because of gains in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Employment rose 2.9% in colleges and 1.4% in school boards, with minimal change in universities.

Health and social services institutions had 18,000 more employees in the fourth quarter of 2008. Quebec and Alberta each contributed nearly one-third of this growth.

Total public sector wages and salaries rose by 4.3% compared with the fourth quarter in 2007.

Note: All historical data in the text refers to the fourth quarter of every year. The public sector includes all economic entities controlled by government, and is comprised of four major components: the three levels of government (federal, provincial and territorial and local); each has a general government component comprising ministries, departments, agencies and non-autonomous funds, autonomous funds and organizations, and non-autonomous pension plans; provincial and territorial government also includes universities and colleges, and health and social service institutions; local government also includes school boards; and the fourth component government business enterprises, which are institutional units controlled by government but which operate as commercial corporations in the marketplace. Persons hired for a few days for the October 2008 federal election are not included in these public sector employment statistics.

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 survey number 1713.

Available on CANSIM: tables 183-0021 and 183-0022.

Data tables on public sector employment are also available from the National economic accounts module of our website.

For more information or to order data, contact Client Services (613-951-0767; fe-pid-dipinfo@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.