Public sector employment in Scotland: statistics for fourth quarter 2018

Snapshot of public sector employment up to December 2018.


Table 3: Public sector employment by devolved and reserved sector; Scotland, Headcount and Full-time equivalent

Not Seasonally Adjusted

Headcount Full-time equivalent
Total Public Sector Devolved Public Sector2 Reserved Public Sector3 Total Public Sector Devolved Public Sector2 Reserved Public Sector3
Q4 1999 551,200 474,500 76,700 460,300 387,200 73,100
Q4 2012 597,100 500,100 97,000 514,400 423,800 90,700
Q4 2013 584,800 501,600 83,200 503,000 425,600 77,400
Q4 2014 561,100 503,700 57,400 480,500 426,800 53,600
Q4 2015 560,900 503,400 57,600 479,700 425,800 53,900
Q4 2016 558,700 502,000 56,700 478,000 424,700 53,300
Q4 2017 560,100 504,200 55,900 479,600 427,100 52,500
Q4 2018 553,300 498,200 55,100 471,800 420,000 51,900
Change on year to:
Q4 2018 -6,860 -6,050 -800 -7,800 -7,100 -690
% change on year:
Q4 2018 -1.2% -1.2% -1.4% -1.6% -1.7% -1.3%

Notes:

1. Employment figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred. Change on year rounded to the nearest ten. Percentages are based on unrounded figures. Totals may not equal the sum of individual parts due to rounding.

2. Devolved Public Sector consists of the following staff groups: Civil Service, Other Public Bodies, NHS, Further Education Colleges, Local Government and Public Corporations (as shown in Table 4).

3. Reserved Public Sector consists of the following staff groups: Civil Service, Public Bodies, Armed Forces, Public Corporations, Public Sector Financial Institutions (as shown in Table 5).

4. The following bodies have been added to the Devolved Public Sector series: Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd from Q1 2008, Bòrd na Gàidhlig from Q4 2010, Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland from Q2 2011, Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland from Q2 2004, Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission from Q4 2010, Scottish Commission for Human Rights from Q1 2008, Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureau from Q2 2005 (headcount only), Cosla from Q1 1999, Social Security Scotland from Q3 2018.

5. The following bodies have been added to the Reserved Public Sector Series: British Wool Marketing Board from Q3 2009, The Oil and Pipeline Agency from Q1 2013, Medical Research Council Technology from Q1 2016, Awe Management Ltd from Q1 2014, NPL Management LtD from Q2 2017, Shared Services Connect Limted from Q4 2015 to Q2 2017, Oil and Gas Authority from Q2 2015 and Information Commissioner's Office from Q1 2015.

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