Public sector employment in Scotland: statistics for fourth quarter 2020

5. Civil Service Employment in Scotland; Headcount

(see Tables 5 and 6)

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

In December 2020, there were 46,100 people employed as civil servants in Scotland. This is made up of 21,600 (46.8%) people working in the Devolved Civil Service and 24,600 (53.2%) working in UK government departments. The total number of civil servants has increased by 1,190 (2.6%) between December 2019 and December 2020.

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

Devolved Civil Service

The Devolved Civil Service has 960 (4.7%) more people employed in December 2020 than in December 2019.

Chart 6 shows a breakdown of the Devolved Civil Service in Scotland as of December 2020^[6].

Source: Public Sector Employment in Scotland, Quarter 4 2020

Note: Totals may not equal the sum of individual parts due to rounding.

Scottish Government Core

In December 2020, there were 7,600 people employed in Scottish Government (SG) Core Directorates, which is 35.2% of the devolved civil service in Scotland. Employment in SG Core Directorates was 460 (6.4%) higher in December 2020, compared with December 2019.

Scottish Government Agencies^[7]

There were 8,300 people employed in Scottish Government Agencies in December 2020. Employment in SG Agencies increased by 420 (5.4%) compared with December 2019.

Non Ministerial Departments

Non Ministerial Departments (NMD) include National Records of Scotland, Registers of Scotland, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Scottish Housing Regulator (from April 2012), Revenue Scotland (from January 2015), Food Standards Scotland (from April 2015) and Scottish Fiscal Commission (from September 2017). In December 2020, there were 3,800 people employed in these NMDs. This was 50 (1.3%) more than in December 2019.

Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal

In December 2020, there were 2,000 people employed in the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal, an increase of 30 (1.7%) since December 2019.

Reserved Civil Service

Employment in the Reserved Civil Service was 230 (0.9%) higher than in December 2019, increasing from 24,300 in December 2019 to 24,600 in December 2020.

Chart 7 identifies the breakdown of headcount employment in UK government departments as at December 2020.

Source: Public Sector Employment in Scotland, Quarter 4 2020
Note: Totals may not equal the sum of individual parts due to rounding

Department for Work and Pensions

In December 2020, there were 8,600 people employed in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Employment in DWP was 330 (3.9%) higher in December 2020 compared with December 2019.

HM Revenue and Customs

There were 7,700 people employed in HM Revenue and Customs in December 2020, 400 (-5.0%) fewer than December 2019.

Ministry of Defence

There were 4,100 people employed in the Ministry of Defence in December 2020, the same as in December 2019.

Other Civil Service^[8]

The number of people employed in Other Reserved Civil Service in December 2020 was 3,000, 270 (9.7%) higher than December 2019.

Department for International Development

The number of people employed in the Department for International Development in December 2020 was 1,000, 40 (3.7%) higher than December 2019.

Scotland Office

In December 2020, there were 90 people employed in the Scotland Office, the same as in December 2019.