Public sector employment in Scotland: statistics for fourth quarter 2018

Snapshot of public sector employment up to December 2018.


Table 1: Number of people employed by public and private sector; Scotland, Headcount

Not Seasonally Adjusted

Total Employment6 Private Sector2 Public Sector Estimated Private Sector including major reclassifications3, 4 Estimated Public Sector excluding major reclassifications3, 5
Level Level Percentage of total employment Level Percentage of total employment Level Percentage of total employment Level Percentage of total employment
Q4 1999 2,276,000 1,725,000 75.8% 551,200 24.2% 1,743,400 76.6% 532,800 23.4%
Q4 2012 r 2,484,000 1,886,800 76.0% 597,100 24.0% 1,950,000 78.5% 533,800 21.5%
Q4 2013 r 2,557,000 1,972,200 77.1% 584,800 22.9% 2,023,100 79.1% 533,800 20.9%
Q4 2014 r 2,596,000 2,034,500 78.4% 561,100 21.6% 2,062,700 79.5% 532,800 20.5%
Q4 2015 r 2,624,000 2,063,400 78.6% 560,900 21.4% 2,092,200 79.7% 532,100 20.3%
Q4 2016 r 2,612,000 2,053,700 78.6% 558,700 21.4% 2,082,000 79.7% 530,400 20.3%
Q4 2017 r 2,640,000 2,079,500 78.8% 560,100 21.2% 2,107,200 79.8% 532,400 20.2%
Q4 2018 2,650,000 2,096,500 79.1% 553,300 20.9% 2,108,700 79.6% 541,000 20.4%
Change on year to:
Q4 2018 10,100 16,960 0.3 p.p. -6,860 -0.3 p.p. 1,510 -0.2 p.p. 8,590 0.2 p.p.
% change on year:
Q4 2018 0.4% 0.8% -1.2% 0.1% 1.6%

r = revision due to reweighting of Labour Force Survey Total Employment figure.

Notes:

p.p. - percentage points

1. Employment figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred, unless otherwise stated. Change on year rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not equal the sum of individual parts due to rounding.

2. Private sector is derived as the difference between the Labour Force Survey 'Total employment' workforce based estimate for the whole of Scotland (not seasonally adjusted) and the public sector estimate (derived from individual organisation statistical returns).

3. Major reclassifications include: Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Lloyds Banking Group plc, Northern Rock plc, Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance, Lloyds Bank Asset Finance, Scottish Widows, Direct Line, Royal Mail Group plc, Post Office Ltd (until Q2 2006), Network Rail and Registered Social Landlords.

4. Private sector including major reclassifications includes the figures for the above organisations in the private sector series when they were part of the public sector.

5. Public sector excluding major reclassifications excludes the figures for the above organisations from the public sector series when they were part of the public sector.

6. Total employment figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

7. Public sector employment includes the following series: Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd from Q1 2008, 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 and Shared Services Connect Limted from Q4 2015 to Q2 2017. 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, Oil and Gas Authority from Q2 2015, and Information Commissioner's Office from Q1 2015.

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