Western Australian Public Sector Quarterly Workforce Report – March 2021

Employment trends

In March 2021 the WA public sector employed 151,753 people, equating to 120,357 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.

In headcount terms, this reflected a quarterly increase of 3,221 (+2.2%) since December 2020, and an annual increase of 5,410 (+3.7%) since March 2020.

In FTE terms, this reflects a quarterly increase of 2,693 (+2.3%) since December 2020 and an annual increase of 4,809 (+4.2%) since March 2020.

WA Health continues to drive growth in staffing levels, accounting for over just over half (50.5%) of the total increase in headcount this quarter. Between December 2020 and March 2021, WA Health’s headcount increased by 1,625 (+3.2%) while FTE increased by 1,122 (+2.9%). WA Health reported that these increases were related to system-wide activities associated with COVID-19 response including, but not limited to, resourcing for contact tracing and vaccination programs.

The Department of Education’s headcount increased by 1,048 (+1.9%) and FTE by 1,228 (+3.0%) between December 2020 and March 2021. This reflects schools reopening from February 2021, and is similar to the increase in the March 2020 quarter.

Staffing at the 5 TAFE colleges increased by 517 headcount (+13.5%) and 371 FTE (+11.7%) with the recommencement of the semester. Two of the colleges reported increased demand for lecturers, with Central Regional TAFE employing more lecturers due to the uptake of free and half price TAFE courses.

WA Police continued its expansion, increasing by 137 headcount in the March 2021 quarter.

A small number of agencies saw decreases in headcount and FTE, with the most notable being the Department of Communities decreasing by 315 headcount (-5.2%) or 207 FTE (-3.9%). This included cessation of fixed term contracts, severances, secondments and retirements.

Salaries expenditure

Salaries represent the single largest component of general government sector expenses (41% for March 2021, or 45% if concurrent superannuation costs are also included).

General government salaries for the first nine months of 2020–21 grew by 4.9% to total $9,967 million.

Figure 1. Salaries growth for the first nine months of each financial year (to the March quarter), since 2010–11 (general government)

Source: Department of Treasury

Information is based on an aggregate of agency supplied data, collected quarterly through the Human Resource Minimum Obligatory Information Requirement (HR MOIR). Data is supplied by agencies according to the guidelines set out in HR MOIR Data Definitions 1.5.1.

The information provided reflects the Commission’s holdings at the date of release. Workforce data is occasionally revised for quality, and corrections applied may result in figures being adjusted over time. This information relates only to public sector (Department, SES and non-SES agencies), and excludes sworn officers of the WA Police Force, public universities, local governments, government trading enterprises and other authorities.

All data is accurate as reported to us by contributing agencies.

As some figures have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals. Salaries expenditure data and information is provided by the Department of Treasury.