PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT IN SCOTLAND STATISTICS FOR 4TH QUARTER 2014

1. Total Employment and Public and Private Sector Employment in Scotland; Headcount (Table 1)

Figure 1 provides a summary of total employment in Scotland and the breakdown of public and private sector employment. The public sector is defined according to the UK National Accounts Classifications Guide^[1].

Figure 1: Public and Private Sector Employment, Scotland, Q4 2014

Chart 1: Public Sector Employment in Scotland, Headcount, Q1 1999 - Q4 2014, non-seasonally adjusted

Chart 1 shows that the number of people employed in the public sector in Q4 2014 was lower than that seen in 1999, when the series began. Chart 1 also shows that the estimated number of people employed in the public sector excluding the effects of major reclassifications^[2]in Q4 2014 was slightly lower than the estimated number of people employed in 1999.

Chart 2 shows the annual change in employment for the public and private sectors.

Chart 2: Annual Change in Employment by Main Sector, Headcount

Impact of Excluding Major Reclassifications from Public Sector

If the major reclassifications^[2]were to be excluded from the public sector series, there would be estimated to be 531,000 people employed in the public sector in Q4 2014. This would account for 20.5% of the total employment in Scotland.

Public Sector employment excluding the effects of the major reclassifications, would have decreased by 1,000 (0.2%) over the year to Q4 2014 and by 2,000 (0.3%) since Q4 1999.

The major reclassifications are all included in the reserved public sector in Scotland; their impact in this sector is covered in section 4 of the publication.