We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing experience.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Set cookie preferences

Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Publication - Factsheet

About public sector employment statistics

Last updated
19 December 2025 - see all updates
Directorate
Chief Economist Directorate
Topic
Economy, Public sector, Work and skills

Contextual information and guidance on the Scottish Government's public sector employment statistics.

Part of

Local Government Employment

Relevant web tables

The complete time series for local government employment by Headcount and Full-time equivalent (FTE) is available for each quarter from Q1 1999 from the public sector employment statistics web tables.

  • Table 7: Local government employment by staffing group; Scotland, Headcount, Q1 1999 to present
  • Table 8: Local government employment by staffing group and Local Authority; Scotland, Headcount, Q1 2000 to present
  • Table 9: Local government employment by local authority and gender; Scotland, Headcount, Q1 2011 to present
  • Table 14: Local government employment by staffing group and Local Authority; Scotland, Full-time equivalent, Q1 1999 to present
  • Table 15: Local government employment by local authority; Scotland, Headcount, Full-time equivalent, Q1 2000 to present
  • Table 16: Local government employment by local authority and gender; Scotland, Headcount, Full-time equivalent, Q1 2011 to present

Changes to Police and Fire Service Classification

In April 2013, single services for Police and Fire were introduced and these services were reclassified from local to central government.

This reclassification resulted in approximately 29,000 staff (headcount) moving to the central government category from local government. Also, from Q2 2013 onwards the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), previously known as the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) is included within the Police and Fire Services category rather than in Other Public Bodies category.

Further information is available at Police officer quarterly strength statistics Scotland - gov.scot.

Related Local Government staffing information

Social Services

For further information on the official source for social work staffing, published by the Scottish Social services Council, please see Scottish Social Services Council Data | SSSC

Teachers

Official Statistics for teacher numbers are included in the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland publication, produced by the Scottish Government, see Teacher census supplementary statistics - gov.scot

 

Contact

If you have any enquiries relating to Labour Market Statistics then please contact us at:

Labour Market Statistics,
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
E-mail: LMStats@gov.scot

For general enquiries about Scottish Government statistics please contact:

Office of the Chief Statistician
E-mail: statistics.enquiries@gov.scot

First published
24 September 2019
Last updated
19 December 2025 - show all updates

  1. New page added on Organisations in the Public Sector in Scotland.

  2. Updates made to Introduction, Quality and Methodology Information, Classifications, Local Government Employment, Youth Employment, Publications and Related Links, and Data Collection and Validation pages.

  3. Updates made to Local government employment and Background notes pages.

  4. Updates made to Local government employment and Background notes pages.

  5. Updates made to classifications and local government employment pages.

  6. Updated local government employment and youth employment in the public sector pages.

  7. Updated Background notes and Local government employment

  8. Updates made to background notes, local government employment and youth employment in the public sector pages.

  9. Updates made to background notes, classifications and local government employment pages.

Back to top