Scottish public sector jobs back to 1999 levels

PUBLIC sector jobs account for the lowest share of employment since the beginning of devolution in Scotland, new figures show.

The Scottish Government offices in Leith. Picture: TSPL

In the final three months of last year, 566,300 people were employed in the sector, which is equal to 22.1% of total employment.

Meanwhile, employment in the private sector increased by 103,900, or 5.5%, to a total of 1.99 million.

“This is the lowest the proportion of employment in the public sector has been since 1999, when the data collection began,” according to national statistics published by the Scottish Government.

The level is even lower when public sector financial institutions, which came into the sector in 2008, are removed.

Over the year, public sector employment fell 13,800, or 2.4%.

Jobs in the devolved public sector increased by 500 over the year, offsetting a 14,300 drop in reserved public sector jobs.

The NHS saw an increase in employment of 2,400, while the devolved civil service increased by 300.

The drop in reserved sector jobs is mostly the result of reclassification of Royal Mail and Direct Line Group, by the Office for National Statistics, from reserved public corporations into Plcs, the figures show.