Public sector employment

Employment in Canada's public sector (covering all levels of general government, school boards, colleges, universities, health and social service institutions and Crown corporations) surpassed the three million mark in the second quarter for the first time in nearly nine years.

On average, there were just over 3.0 million public sector employees between April and June, the highest level since the fourth quarter of 1994. Public sector employment reached a low of just under 2.7 million on average in the third quarter of 1999.

Since then, public sector employment has grown at an accelerated pace, although indications are it is easing off. In 2003, employment rose at an annual rate of 2.2%. However, in 2004, the pace of growth slowed to only 0.9%.

Employment in the second quarter this year was 0.8% higher than in the same three months of 2004.

The federal general government had an estimated 373,728 employees on average in the second quarter, up 0.6% from the same quarter last year. Provincial and territorial general government employment remained virtually unchanged at just under 351,000.

The three levels of general government (federal, provincial/territorial and local) accounted for 36% of total public sector employment. Educational institutions (school boards, colleges and universities) accounted for 30%, health and social service institutions 25%, and government business enterprises 9%.

Note: The public sector includes all economic entities controlled by government. It is comprised of the ministries, departments, agencies, special-purpose funds and organizations; public educational institutions; and health and social service agencies of the three levels of government (federal, provincial/territorial and local) along with their government business enterprises.

Available on CANSIM: tables 183-0002 and 183-0004.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 1713 and 1728.

Estimates of public sector employment and aggregate public sector wages and salaries for the second quarter of 2005 are now available. The data for the first quarter have been revised.

A data table on public sector employment is also available online in the Canadian Statistics module of our Web site.

For general information or to order data, contact Joanne Rice (613-951-0767; joanne.rice@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Kim Balson (613-951-4855; kimberly.balson@statcan.gc.ca), Public Institutions Division.