1. Workforce trends

This appendix provides a summary of overall trends in Australian Public Service (APS) employment for 2013–14, and over the past 15 years. The main source of the data is the Australian Public Service Employment Database (APSED). While this appendix provides a brief summary of APS employment data, the APS Statistical Bulletin was published 30 September 2014 and provides more detailed information.¹ Appendix 5 provides detailed diversity data for the APS.

From this year's analysis of employment trends, the typical APS employee is a 43 year-old female, with a bachelor degree, working at the APS 6 level. The typical new starter in the APS this year is a 24 year-old female, with a bachelor degree, engaged at the graduate APS level.

APS employment trends

At 30 June 2014 there were 159,126 employees in the APS. This total comprised:

• 145,891 ongoing employees (down by 4.1% from 152,189 in June 2013)
• 13,235 non-ongoing employees (down by 10.9% from 14,862 in June 2013).

During 2013–14:

• 4,672 ongoing employees were engaged (down by 38.9% from 7,652 in 2012–13)
• 11,131 ongoing employees separated from the APS (up by 15.6% from 9,627 in 2012–13)
  • retrenchments accounted for 4,622 or 41.5% (up from 27.8% in 2012–13)
  • natural attrition (resignations and age retirements) accounted for 5,954 or 53.5% (down from 66.1% in 2012–13)
• 224 employees moved into coverage of the Public Service Act 1999 (222 ongoing and 2 non-ongoing).

Figure A1.1 shows the change in the ongoing APS population over the past fifteen financial years, and how ongoing engagements and separations affect the ongoing population.

Figure A1.1. Ongoing APS employees: population, engagements and separations, 2000 to 2014

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Source: APSED

Classification structures

To allow comparisons over time, this analysis used substantive or base classification, excluding employees on temporary assignment at a classification different to their base classification. Table A1.1 compares ongoing employee numbers by base classification at June 2000, 2013 and 2014. With the exception of Trainee and APS 1, the number of employees in all classifications decreased from 2013 to 2014. The classifications with the greatest numeric decreases were Executive Level (EL) 1, with a decrease of 1,444 or 5.0% and APS 3 with a decrease of 1,373 or 7.9%. The classification with the greatest percentage decrease was Graduate, with a decrease of 12.0% (172 employees), followed by Senior Executive Service (SES) Band 2, with a decrease of 8.1% (47 employees).

Change in age profile

Table A1.2 shows the number and proportion of ongoing employees by age group as at June 2000, 2013 and 2014. It also shows the changes in those proportions over the past 15 years and past year. There has been a shift towards older employees over the past 15 years. The representation of all age groups at, and under, the 45–49 age group has decreased, while the proportion of employees at all age groups above it have increased. In particular, the 55–59 age group's representation nearly doubled and the 60-and-over group quadrupled.

Changes in gender profile by classification

Table A1.3 shows the distribution of ongoing men and women by classification at June 2000, 2013, and 2014. Except for Graduates, women's representation increased at all classifications from 2000 to 2014. This is line with the increase in their overall representation in the APS from 50.1% to 57.6% over the same period. Although underrepresented at higher classifications, the representation of women has increased in both EL and SES classifications: from June 2000 to June 2014 it increased from 32.7% to 47.4% in the EL group and from 25.1% to 40.1% in the SES.

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Footnotes

¹ The APS Statistical Bulletin is available on the Australian Public Service Commission's website www.apsc.gov.au/about-the-apsc/parliamentary/aps-statistical-bulletin/aps-statistical-bulletin-2013-14.