Public sector employment in Scotland: statistics for first quarter 2018

Summary

Key points (based on headcount data) include:

• In Q1 2018, there were 561,300 people employed in the public sector in Scotland, an increase of 2,430 (+0.4%) since Q1 2017. In Q1 2018, public sector employment accounted for 21.5% of total employment, an increase of 0.2 percentage points over the last year.
• Of the total 561,300 people employed in the public sector in Scotland, 90.1% are accounted for by employment in the devolved public sector. Headcount in the devolved public sector increased by 2,740 (+0.5%) over the last year to 505,500 in Q1 2018.
• Over the year, employment in the devolved public sector decreased in Police and Fire Related Services by 300 (-1.1%). Employment in the devolved public sector increased in the NHS by 460 (+0.3%), Local Government by 1,640 (+0.7%), Public Corporations by 390 (+1.7%) and Civil Service by 420 (+2.5%). There was no change in employment in Further Education Colleges.
• 9.9% of the total public sector employment relates to employment in the reserved public sector in Scotland. The reserved sector saw a decrease of 320 (-0.6%) in headcount between Q1 2017 and Q1 2018.
• Employment within the reserved public sector decreased in Public Corporations & Public Sector Financial Institutions by 150 (-1.4%), in the Armed Forces by 180 (-1.8%) and in the Civil Service by 430
  (-1.7%) and increased in Public Bodies by 450 (+4.6%).

Youth Employment in the devolved public sector ^[1]

• In Q1 2018, there were 23,500 young people aged 16-24 in employment in the devolved public sector, accounting for 4.6% of total employment in this sector. This was the same as the proportion of young people in employment in the devolved public sector in Q1 2017 (4.6%).
• Over the year, the proportion of young people in the devolved public sector increased in Scottish Government Core Directorates, up 1.3 percentage points from 5.6% in Q1 2017 to 6.9% in Q1 2018; Local Government, up 0.1 percentage points from 4.7% in Q1 2017 to 4.8% in Q1 2018 and Public Corporations up 0.2 percentage points from 4.9% in Q1 2017 to 5.1% in Q1 2018 while the proportion of young people in the devolved public sector decreased in Scottish Government Agencies, down 0.5 percentage points from 5.8% in Q1 2017 to 5.2% in Q1 2018.

Major Reclassifications

On 17 ^th December 2013, the Office for National Statistics ( ONS) announced that from 1 ^st September 2014, Network Rail would be reclassified as a Central Government body in the public sector and would apply from April 2004.

On 30th April 2014, ONS announced the reclassification of Lloyds Banking Group plc. (and subsidiaries) as a former Public Corporation into the private sector (with effect from March 2014). Subsidiaries of Lloyds Banking Group plc. include: Scottish Widows Bank plc. TSB Bank plc., Lloyds Bank plc., Black Horse Limited, AMC Bank Limited and Bank of Scotland plc. This reclassification resulted in approximately 19,400 staff (headcount) moving into the private sector. More information on this can be found in Classification of Lloyds Banking Group and Subsidiaries

ONS announced the reclassification of both Royal Mail Group plc. (effective from October 2013) and Direct Line Group (effective from September 2013), as former Public Corporations. This resulted in approximately 12,400 staff (headcount) moving into the private sector.

In September 2016, the Office for National Statistics announced that from 18 ^th July 2001, Registered Social Landlords would be classified as Public Non-Financial Corporations. The series has been predominately estimated from annual values provided by the Scottish Housing Regulator.

A separate public sector series excluding the effects of major reclassifications has been included in this publication to show the impact of the reclassifications on the number of people employed in the public sector.

More information is available on the Public Sector Employment Web Section.

National Accounts Classifications

On 30 ^th November 2015, the Office for National Statistics ( ONS) announced that from 22 ^nd November 2013, Glasgow Prestwick Airport Limited would be classified as a Non-financial Public Corporation. Therefore, Glasgow Prestwick Airport Limited has been included in the Public Sector series from Q4 2013.

On 1 ^st October 2015, Historic Scotland (previously part of the devolved civil service) and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (a non-departmental public body) merged to become Historic Environment Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland has been classified as a Non-Departmental Public Body.

On 1 ^st October 2016, the Office for National Statistics announced that from 2 ^nd December 2015, Aberdeen Harbour Board would no longer be classified as a public non-financial corporation but instead be classified as a National Private non-financial Corporation.

In February 2017, the Office for National Statistics announced that from 1 ^st October 2006, Community Safety Glasgow would be classified as Local Government. Therefore, Community Safety Glasgow has been included in the Local Government series from Q4 2006 onwards. The series has been estimated using annual administrative data from the inter-departmental business register. Actual data has been used from Q1 2017.

In November 2017, the Office for National Statistics announced that from 1 ^st April 2017, Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management) would be classified as Public Non-Financial Corporation. Therefore, Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management) has been included in the Public Sector series from Q2 2017. Prior to Q4 2017, the series has been estimated using Q4 2017 data.

Public Sector Employment Web section

The Public Sector Employment Web section provides additional information to this National Statistics publication http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Labour-Market/PublicSectorEmployment

It contains detailed information including:

• Employment levels for public bodies in Scotland for 16-24 year olds (Q1 2013, Q1 2014, Q1 2015, Q1 2016, Q1 2017 and Q1 2018).
• Local government employment by local authority for the current quarter. A time series of total local government employment from Q1 1999 and by gender from Q1 2011.
• Detailed tables showing a full time series of data - all quarters back to Q1 1999 – are also available to download.
• Background notes outlining the methodology used to compile this series.

UK Comparisons

Public Sector Employment for Government Office Regions and Nations of the UK can be found in the Office for National Statistics Publication.

Comparisons to UK data should be made using non-seasonally adjusted UK data.

See the regional tables at http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pse/public-sector-employment/index.html.

Background Notes

Statistics prior to Q1 2008 are estimates. These have been calculated using the total UK reserved public sector employment figure and applying to Scotland on a pro-rata basis as regional level data has only been collected from Q1 2008 onwards.

Background notes about the information contained in our PSE series are available at the following web section: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Labour-Market/PublicSectorEmployment/SourcesDef

Next Publication: September 2018