Public sector employment up 3.4% to 724,673 jobs

  • Lusa
  • 16 November 2021

In year-on-year terms, employment increased by 3.4%, mainly due to the growth recorded in central government, of 3.3%, corresponding to 17,193 more jobs.

Employment in the public sector increased by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 and decreased by 0.9% compared to the previous quarter, standing at 724,673 jobs.

According to the Statistical Summary of Public Employment (SIEP), of the Directorate General of Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP), on 30 September 2021, employment in the general government sector stood at 724,673 jobs, registering a decrease of 3,112 jobs, corresponding to 0.4% less than on 31 December 2011 (start of the series of the Statistical Summary of Public Employment).

In year-on-year terms, employment increased by 3.4%, mainly due to the growth recorded in central government, of 3.3%, corresponding to 17,193 more jobs, and in local government, of 4%, equivalent to 4,917 more jobs.

In central government, the increase in employment essentially occurred in the Public Enterprise Entities (EPE) of the NHS ( 6,298 more) and in Basic and Secondary Education and Teaching (5,905 more), but also in the Teaching and Research Organic Units (1,838 more), in the Health Centre Groups (1,253 more) and in the Armed Forces (836 more).

Amongst the careers that most contributed to the year-on-year increase are operational assistants ( 4,254 more), senior technicians (2,762 more), nurses (2,469 more), primary and secondary school educators (1,851 more), doctors (more 1,240), of technical assistants (more 847), university teachers (768 more) diagnosis and therapy technicians ( 763 more).

In comparison with the end of the previous quarter, employment in the general government sector decreased by 6,453 jobs (down 0.9%), as a result of the decrease in central government employment, down 7,849 jobs.

The greatest contribution to the decrease in employment came from the areas of Education and Science, Technology and Higher Education (7,431 less, as a whole), reflecting the change of academic year.

The SIEP is a quarterly publication, through which the DGAEP releases information on public employment within the scope of labour market statistics.

As of today, DGAEP makes available interactive and searchable graphics with data on public employment, making it possible to filter and cross-reference information by subsector, government area, career and contract, and to check the evolution since the beginning of the series of the Public Employment Statistical Synthesis (2011).

The Government considers that this is an important step towards strengthening the transparency of data on public administration, simplifying and expanding its accessibility and consultation by all.