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Public Sector Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 April 2011

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Questions (28, 29)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

48 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Taoiseach the size and relative percentage of the workplace represented by public sector jobs here from 2001 to 2011; the way this compares with the similar figures for our 26 EU partner nations throughout the same decade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8226/11]

View answer

Written answers

The Earnings, Hours and Employment Costs Survey (EHECS) is the official source of estimates of the number of employees in the public sector. Prior to the introduction of EHECS to all sectors of the economy in 2008 employment estimates were produced from a separate quarterly public sector survey. The data from these two sources differed slightly in coverage but they have been combined to estimate a comparable employment series from Q4 2001 up to Q4 2010, the latest period for which estimates are available. These estimates are presented in table 1 below.

Also presented are the estimated total number of employees in the state from the Quarterly National Household Survey. These estimates have been derived excluding commercial semi-State employment so as to be as close as possible to the definition of the ‘General Government Sector' as utilised in the compilation of the National Accounts although minor differences in coverage may still exist.

Comparable estimates are not available for other EU member states as EU data collection in relation to employment is based on the NACE classification which classifies employment according to the field of activity of the employer rather than whether the employer is in the public or private sector. It is not possible to clearly identify overall public sector employment through the NACE classification as it is spread across a number of areas of economic activity. In relation to the National Accounts while information on the overall compensation of employees in the General Government Sector is collected, at this point in time Eurostat does not collect and compile comparable statistics on the overall level of employment in the General Government Sector for EU member states.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) undertakes a periodic data collection exercise regarding the level of Public sector employment in different countries. However estimates are not submitted by all countries and comparability of those estimates submitted to the ILO cannot be guaranteed.

Table 1

Public Sector Employment Q4 2001-Q4 2010

Q4 2001

Q4 2002

Q4 2003

Q4 2004

Q4 2005

Q4 2006

Q4 2007

Q4 2008

Q4 2009

Q4 2010

Total public sector (excluding commercial semi state)

309,000

324,300

327,800

335,700

341,800

354,400

367,500

381,900

364,000

361,400

Total employees (QNHS)

1,442,100

1,463,700

1,501,600

1,570,000

1,675,400

1,737,300

1,761,100

1,679,000

1,550,700

1,516,000

Percentage Public Secto

21%

22%

22%

21%

20%

20%

21%

23%

23%

24%

Source CSO

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

49 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Taoiseach the total cost and the cost relative to GDP and GNP of the public sector workforce in the period 2001 to 2011; the way these indices compare with the similar figures for our 26 EU partner nations throughout the same decade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8227/11]

View answer

The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the tables below. The definition of public sector used is the "General Government Sector" as defined internationally for the compilation of National Accounts. The definition excludes commercial semi state bodies. The figures relate to wages and salaries, including employers' contributions to pension and social security funds. The most recent year for which internationally comparable annual data are available on the Eurostat website is 2009. The most up to date information for Ireland, including data for 2010, have been incorporated in the tables.

Internationally comparable data for GNP are not available. However, Table 3 presents data for GNI (Gross National Income). This is equivalent to GNP plus EU subsidies minus EU taxes.

Table 1: Compensation of Employees (€m) in the General Government Sector: EU Member States and EU, 2000 to 2010*

Country/Year

2010*

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

European Union (27 countries)

1,323,424

1,312,652

1,285,378

1,241,075

1,192,914

1,141,543

1,093,512

1,061,019

1,008,971

966,598

Belgium

43,288

41,635

39,324

37,859

36,422

34,661

33,833

32,532

30,326

29,039

Bulgaria

3,286

3,254

2,722

2,318

2,420

2,046

1,864

1,604

1,351

1,436

Czech Republic

11,109

11,210

9,673

8,906

7,989

6,966

6,725

6,219

5,076

4,346

Denmark

43,280

40,140

38,147

37,283

35,884

35,116

33,977

32,818

31,248

29,690

Germany

177,640

170,720

168,310

168,270

168,900

169,590

169,240

168,680

166,220

166,110

Estonia

1,773

1,830

1,527

1,242

1,104

985

889

798

710

665

Ireland

18,140

19,572

20,309

19,008

17,353

15,721

13,671

12,560

11,273

9,819

8,361

Greece

31,762

28,761

26,430

24,324

22,384

21,345

18,641

17,308

15,180

14,445

Spain

125,164

118,387

107,835

98,261

91,011

84,595

78,691

72,889

68,728

64,728

France

254,326

247,268

241,736

234,489

228,208

220,725

215,626

208,484

199,206

192,305

Italy

171,578

169,813

163,989

163,220

156,542

149,866

144,749

137,621

131,647

124,306

Cyprus

2,644

2,427

2,269

2,164

2,011

1,885

1,828

1,539

1,428

1,363

Latvia

2,242

2,770

2,248

1,612

1,308

1,174

1,069

1,039

954

917

Lithuania

3,411

3,475

2,834

2,504

2,153

1,968

1,787

1,711

1,590

1,502

Luxembourg

3,031

2,805

2,653

2,508

2,379

2,224

2,075

1,939

1,785

1,661

Hungary

10,499

12,258

11,621

10,933

11,178

10,382

9,807

8,634

6,586

5,442

Malta

831

832

707

678

667

661

652

649

640

547

Netherlands

57,130

54,575

52,273

50,216

49,543

48,909

48,040

45,599

42,820

39,647

Austria

27,174

25,970

24,783

23,999

22,884

21,912

21,559

21,041

20,954

22,866

Poland

31,788

36,246

29,909

26,712

24,563

20,547

20,461

22,543

22,681

18,738

Portugal

20,707

20,300

20,271

20,812

21,312

20,125

19,360

19,737

18,449

17,281

Romania

12,558

14,295

11,720

9,059

6,978

4,968

4,297

4,139

3,764

3,203

Slovenia

4,399

4,112

3,641

3,481

3,306

3,146

3,016

2,841

2,680

2,423

Slovakia

4,948

4,481

3,730

3,284

2,803

2,739

2,612

2,373

2,092

1,942

Finland

25,429

24,676

23,239

22,350

21,671

20,731

19,915

19,070

18,075

17,278

Sweden

44,591

49,162

50,372

48,176

46,493

46,130

44,689

41,916

39,454

40,873

United Kingdom

189,264

200,944

224,408

219,065

207,081

194,476

175,549

176,025

165,509

155,485

*Annual data for other EU Member States not available for 2010.

Source: Central Statistics Office and Estat.

Table 2: Compensation of Employees in General Government Sector as a Percentage of GDP: EU Member States, 2000 to 2010*

Country/Year

2010*

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

European Union (27 Countries)

11.2

10.5

10.4

10.6

10.8

10.8

10.8

10.7

10.5

10.5

Belgium

12.8

12.1

11.7

11.9

12.0

11.9

12.3

12.1

11.7

11.5

Bulgaria

9.4

9.2

8.8

8.8

10.4

10.0

10.1

9.4

8.7

10.2

Czech Republic

8.1

7.6

7.6

7.8

8.0

7.9

8.3

7.8

7.4

7.1

Denmark

19.5

17.2

16.8

17.0

17.3

17.8

18.0

17.8

17.4

17.1

Germany

7.4

6.9

6.9

7.2

7.5

7.7

7.8

7.9

7.9

8.1

Estonia

12.8

11.4

9.6

9.3

9.9

10.2

10.2

10.3

10.2

10.8

Ireland

11.8

12.3

11.3

10.0

9.8

9.7

9.2

9.0

8.6

8.4

8.0

Greece

13.5

12.1

11.6

11.5

11.5

11.5

10.8

11.1

10.4

10.5

Spain

11.9

10.9

10.2

10.0

10.0

10.1

10.1

10.0

10.1

10.3

France

13.3

12.7

12.8

13.0

13.2

13.3

13.5

13.5

13.3

13.3

Italy

11.3

10.8

10.6

11.0

11.0

10.8

10.8

10.6

10.5

10.4

Cyprus

15.6

14.0

14.2

14.7

14.7

14.8

15.5

13.8

13.2

13.5

Latvia

12.1

12.0

10.6

10.0

10.0

10.5

10.7

10.5

10.2

10.8

Lithuania

12.9

10.8

9.9

10.4

10.3

10.8

10.8

11.4

11.7

12.1

Luxembourg

8.0

7.1

7.1

7.4

7.9

8.1

8.0

8.1

7.9

7.5

Hungary

11.3

11.5

11.5

12.2

12.6

12.5

13.2

12.2

11.0

10.6

Malta

14.2

14.1

12.9

13.4

13.9

14.7

14.7

14.5

14.9

13.0

Netherlands

10.0

9.2

9.1

9.3

9.6

10.0

10.1

9.8

9.6

9.5

Austria

9.9

9.2

9.1

9.3

9.4

9.4

9.7

9.6

9.9

11.0

Poland

10.2

10.0

9.6

9.8

10.0

10.1

10.7

10.8

10.7

10.1

Portugal

12.3

11.8

12.0

13.0

13.9

13.5

13.5

14.1

13.8

13.6

Romania

10.7

10.2

9.4

9.3

8.7

8.1

8.2

8.5

8.3

7.9

Slovenia

12.4

11.0

10.5

11.2

11.5

11.6

11.7

11.6

11.8

11.3

Slovakia

7.8

6.9

6.8

7.4

7.3

8.1

8.9

9.1

8.9

8.8

Finland

14.9

13.4

12.9

13.5

13.8

13.6

13.7

13.3

13.0

13.1

Sweden

15.3

14.8

14.9

15.1

15.6

15.8

16.0

15.7

15.5

15.2

United Kingdom

12.1

11.1

10.9

11.2

11.3

11.0

10.7

10.3

10.1

9.7

*Annual data for other EU Member States not available for 2010.

Source: Central Statistics Office and Estat.

Table 3: Compensation of Employees in General Government Sector as a Percentage of GNI: EU Member States, 2000 to 2010*

Country/Year

2010*

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

European Union (27 Countries)

11.3

10.5

10.4

10.6

10.8

10.7

10.8

10.7

10.6

10.5

Belgium

12.6

11.9

11.6

11.8

11.9

11.8

12.1

12.0

11.5

11.3

Bulgaria

9.9

9.7

9.5

9.4

11.0

10.2

10.3

9.4

9.1

10.7

Czech Republic

8.6

7.9

8.2

8.2

8.3

8.4

8.7

8.1

7.6

7.2

Denmark

19.1

17.0

16.6

16.7

17.1

17.7

18.1

18.0

17.7

17.5

Germany

7.3

6.8

6.8

7.1

7.4

7.6

7.9

8.0

7.9

8.1

Estonia

13.1

12.0

10.4

9.8

10.3

10.7

10.8

10.7

10.6

11.2

Ireland

14.4

14.8

13.0

11.6

11.2

11.2

10.7

10.5

10.4

9.9

9.2

Greece

13.9

12.5

12.0

11.8

11.7

11.6

10.9

11.0

10.3

10.4

Spain

12.2

11.2

10.5

10.2

10.2

10.2

10.2

10.1

10.3

10.4

France

13.2

12.6

12.6

12.9

13.1

13.2

13.4

13.4

13.1

13.2

Italy

11.5

11.0

10.7

11.0

11.0

10.8

10.9

10.7

10.6

10.5

Cyprus

15.9

15.0

15.1

15.5

15.4

15.5

15.9

14.2

14.0

14.5

Latvia

11.2

12.1

11.0

10.4

10.2

10.7

10.8

10.4

10.2

10.8

Lithuania

12.6

11.1

10.3

10.7

10.5

11.1

11.1

11.5

11.9

12.4

Luxembourg

11.3

9.4

8.8

9.7

9.1

9.3

10.4

9.7

8.9

8.7

Hungary

11.9

12.3

12.4

12.9

13.3

13.2

13.8

12.8

11.6

11.1

Malta

15.3

14.7

13.5

13.9

14.5

14.9

14.8

14.4

14.7

13.3

Netherlands

10.3

9.3

9.0

9.1

9.6

9.7

10.0

9.7

9.5

9.3

Austria

10.0

9.3

9.2

9.4

9.5

9.5

9.7

9.7

10.1

11.2

Poland

10.6

10.2

10.0

10.1

10.2

10.3

10.8

10.8

10.7

10.1

Portugal

12.8

12.2

12.4

13.4

14.1

13.7

13.7

14.3

14.1

13.9

Romania

10.8

10.5

9.7

9.6

9.0

8.5

8.4

8.6

8.4

7.9

Slovenia

12.7

11.3

10.8

11.3

11.6

11.7

11.8

11.6

11.8

11.3

Slovakia

8.0

7.1

7.0

7.6

7.5

8.4

9.3

9.2

8.9

8.9

Finland

14.6

13.3

12.9

13.4

13.7

13.5

13.8

13.3

13.0

13.2

Sweden

15.1

14.2

14.6

14.9

15.5

15.8

15.8

15.8

15.7

15.4

United Kingdom

11.9

10.9

10.8

11.2

11.1

10.8

10.5

10.1

10.0

9.7

*Annual data for other EU Member States not available for 2010.

Source: Central Statistics Office and Estat.

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