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 Home About PSA
Public Sector Employment
In 1995 there were 1.58 million civilian government employees, down from 1.72 million in 1986, making up about 26 per cent of the total work force (31% in 1986). They ranged from postal workers, railway staffs, teachers, police, numerous professional workers such as engineers, lawyers, architects, research scientists, town planners, social workers, computer experts, and so on. Only a small percentage were engaged in the clerical-administrative work popularly associated with the term "public servant". Factors contributing to the reduction in employment have been technological change (eg replacement public transport ticket sellers by vending machines), privatisation (sales of state banks and insurance companies), contracting out (eg of cleaning services) and cost cutting and service reduction.
Public Employment by Government, 1995
The figures include full time, part time, temporary and casual employees. (Adapted from ABS Employed Wage and Salary Earners Australia, March Quarter 1995, Cat No 6248.0)
Functions of GovernmentThe Government sector can be divided into public trading enterprises, statutory authorities, and the public services.
About 20 per cent of government employees are engaged in trading enterprises such as Telstra, Qantas, electricity commissions, water boards, ports and public transport.
In the States, health and education are the biggest employers, accounting for about a third each of employees funded from the budget.
Other large statutory employers are police and road construction authorities.
The remaining sector is the public service -- that is, the departments and small agencies.
New South Wales employment breakdown
(Note: These figures are full time equivalents, not actual persons as used in the ABS figures.)
Young employeesThe public sector was once a large employer of young people. That has changed. A 1990 survey of the NSW public sector showed only 3,478 people aged 19 or under, and only 16,193 in the 20-24 age group, out of 237,000 employees surveyed.
WomenIn NSW (1990 figures) women held 32 per cent of full-time permanent positions and 84 per cent of part time permanent positions. Women dominate the casual and temporary positions (67%). 40 per cent of all employees are women.
(In the Australian Public Service, the percentage of women in permanent posts rose from 5 per cent in 1960 to 48 per cent in 1993.)
Ethnic minoritiesIn NSW the proportion of senior officers who were born overseas and are members of an ethnic minority is now approaching this figure for the community as a whole. 
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