Public sector headcount on the increase - De Marco

Shadow finance minister Mario de Marco said that data issued today by the National Statistics Office (NSO) has pointed to further increases in public sector employment.

During September 2014, the number of persons employed in the public sector increased by 300 when the public sector head count in September 2014 stood at  44,361 – an increase of 2,471 compared to September 2013.

Public sector employment between 2012 and September 2014 increased by 3,468, equivalent to an 8.4% increase.

“The increase in the number of public sector employees is pushing up government expenditure. The public sector wage bill according to government’s own estimate is set to increase by €57 million between 2013 and 2015, a 9% increase which has to be funded out of additional taxes,” de Marco said.

“The actual number of people employed by the public sector during the past twenty months is significantly higher than 3,468 since by government’s own calculations, around 1,500 people leave or retire from the public service every year. Prior to 2013, the number of public sector employees was constantly on the decline with new jobs being created mainly by the private sector.”

De Marco also expressed concern at the rate of growth of part-time employment as a primary job or as a full-time job, a trend, which does not bode well for economic sustainability.

While welcoming initiatives to push down unemployment and to increase the number of gainfully employed, the Opposition queried the sustainability of government's policy to keep on increasing public sector employment.

“The Opposition acknowledges that certain areas within the public sector can benefit from additional human resources. However it is clear that government is not limiting itself to recruiting in these areas. The story of a full-time driver appointed for a part-time chairman is in fact symptomatic of how this government is treating employment in the public sector,” he said, referring to Labour MP Luciano Busuttil, the chairman of the Kunsill Malti ghall-Isport.

“The Opposition is rightfully querying whether the Ministry of Finance is keeping tab of public sector employment and its consequential incremental cost to the tax payer. The Ministry of Finance cannot abdicate from its role to keep public sector employment and expenditure under control.”