PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT IN SCOTLAND STATISTICS FOR 4th QUARTER 2015

5. Civil Service Employment in Scotland; Headcount (see Tables 6 and 7)

This section provides a summary of the civil service in Scotland.

The devolved civil service is made up of:

• Scottish Government Core Departments
• Scottish Government Agencies
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
• Non-Ministerial Departments

The reserved civil service is made up of:

• UK Government Departments
• Scotland Office

In Q4 2015, there were 42,300 people employed as civil servants in Scotland. This is made up of 16,800 (39.7%) people working in the devolved civil service and 25,500 (60.3%) working in UK government departments. The total number of civil servants has decreased by 400 (-1.0%) over the year from 42,700 in Q4 2014 to 42,300 in Q4 2015.

Devolved Civil Service

The devolved civil service has decreased by 500 (-3.0%) since Q4 2014.

Chart 6 shows a breakdown of the devolved civil service in Scotland as at Q4 2015^[5].

Chart 6: Breakdown of Devolved Civil Service Employment, Scotland, Headcount, Q4 2015

Scottish Government Core

In Q4 2015, there were 5,300 people employed in Scottish Government (SG) core directorates, representing 31.8% of the devolved civil service in Scotland. Over the year to Q4 2015, employment in SG core directorates has decreased by 100 (-1.3%).

Scottish Government Agencies

There were 6,400 people employed in Scottish Government agencies in Q4 2015. Employment in SG agencies has decreased by 800 (-11.4%) over the year. This was mainly due to Historic Scotland no longer being part of the civil service (accounting for approximately 1,000 employees).

Non Ministerial Departments

Non Ministerial Departments (NMD) include the National Records of Scotland, Registers of Scotland, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Housing Regulator (from April 2012), Revenue Scotland (from January 2015) and Food Standards Scotland (from April 2015). In Q4 2015, there were 3,400 people employed in these NMDs, an increase of 400 (+11.8%) since Q4 2014. This increase is partly due to two new public bodies becoming operational during the year - Revenue Scotland (approximately 50 employees) and Food Standards Scotland (approximately 150 employees).

Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal

In Q4 2015, there were 1,700 people employed in the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal. Over the year to Q4 2015, employment in the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal increased by 20 (+0.9%).

Reserved Civil Service

Employment in the reserved civil service has increased by 100 (+0.3%), from 25,400 in Q4 2014 to 25,500 in Q4 2015.

Chart 7 identifies the breakdown of headcount employment in UK government departments as at Q4 2015.

Chart 7: Breakdown of Headcount Employment in the UK Government Departments as at Q4 2015

Department for Work and Pensions

In Q4 2015, there were 9,600 people employed in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Over the year from Q4 2014, employment in DWP has decreased by 400 (-3.8%).

HM Revenue and Customs

There were 8,900 people employed in HM Revenue and Customs in Q4 2015, an increase of 700 (+7.9%) since Q3 2014.

Ministry of Defence

There were 3,900 people employed in the Ministry of Defence in Q3 2015. This has decreased by 100 (-2.3%) since Q3 2014.

Other Civil Service^[6]

The number of people employed in Other Civil Service in Q4 2015 was 2,400, a decrease of 100 (-4.3%).

Department for International Development

The number of people employed in the Department for International Development in Q4 2015 was 600, an increase of 20 (+2.7%) over the year.

Scotland Office

In Q4 2015, there were 70 people employed in the Scotland Office. Over the year from Q4 2014, employment in the Scotland Office decreased by 10 (-10.3%).