The public service

In 2002, employment in the Canadian public sector increased for a third consecutive year, a rebound from the 1990s when government restructuring led to a decline in public sector jobs. There were 2.8 million public servants in 2002, compared with 3.1 million in 1992. The number of public employees fell to 91 per 1,000 people in each of the three years from 1999 to 2002. That compares with 109 per 1,000 people in 1991.

Over those three years, the number of public sector employees increased the most in Ontario, growing by 39,230 (+4%) to 986,494 employees in 2002. Manitoba posted a 6.6% increase, the largest percentage growth of any province; 9,438 public employees were added in Manitoba, bringing its total to 143,145 jobs. Nova Scotia was the only province to show a decrease in public sector employment from 1999 to 2002 (–1.1%); it had 891 fewer public sector jobs for a total of 103,750 employees. Quebec’s number of public sector jobs remained relatively stable at 700,982 (+0.1%).

Each year from 1994 to 1997, the total wages and salaries paid to public service employees also decreased. From 1998 to 2002, however, the amount increased each year, bringing public service total remuneration to $126.1 billion in 2002, up 5.4% from 2001.