Introduction
These tables present a summary of employment under the Public Service Act 1999 at 31 December 2016 and during the 2016 calendar year.
The data in these tables is sourced from the APS Employment Database (APSED), which contains data extracted from agencies' HR systems. The Australian Public Service Commission continues to work with agencies to improve the quality and timeliness of the data they provide to APSED. Each year, extensive audits and error checking of APSED are undertaken, to ensure that sound conclusions can be drawn from the data. Through this audit process, previously published data has been updated. The June 2016 data published in the State of the Service Report and the Bulletin has been revised.
As in the Bulletin, a headcount approach is used in these tables—that is, people working part-time are aggregated with people working full-time without weighting. Data also includes inoperative employees. Employees' classification in these tables refers to their base or substantive classification, unless labelled otherwise.
APS at a glance—December 2016
At 31 December 2016 there were 153,421 employees in the APS, a decrease of 2,237 or 1.4% from the June 2016 figure of 155,658.
Total APS employees comprised:
- 136,898 ongoing employees—a decrease of 0.7% from 137,866 in June 2016
- 16,523 non-ongoing employees—a decrease of 7.1% from 17,792 in June 2016
During 2016:
- 11,192 ongoing employees were engaged to the APS—up by 91.8% from 5,836 in 2015. This includes 164 employees who moved into coverage of the PS Act.
- 9,883 ongoing employees separated from the APS—up by 11.9% from 8,833 in 2015.
Figure 1: All employees by employment category, June 2007 to December 2016
Changes to gender reporting
As per the Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, collection of data on gender X (Indeterminate/Intersex/Unspecified) commenced on 1 July 2016.
The number of current employees who identify as gender 'X' is likely to be underrepresented, due to the recent implementation of the guidelines, and employees having to initiate the amendment to their gender in their personal record.
The gender tables in this snapshot are only broken down by males and females due to the small number of employees identified as gender 'X'. The tables for 'total number of employees' include gender 'X', which explains why the total numbers are often higher than the male and female figures combined.
The table below shows the full gender breakdown as at 31 December 2016.
All employees: by gender, 31 December 2016
Gender | 2016 |
---|---|
Men | 62897 |
Women | 90517 |
X - Indeterminate | 7 |
Total | 153421 |
All employees
- Table 1: All employees: gender by employment category, 31 December 2002 to 31 December 2016
- Table 2: All employees: agency by employment category, 31 December 2015, 30 June 2016 and 31 December 2016
- Table 3: Ongoing employees: agency by employment status, gender and employment category, 31 December 2016
- Table 3: Non-ongoing employees: agency by employment status, gender and employment category, 31 December 2016
- Table 3: All employees: agency by employment status, gender and employment category, 31 December 2016
- Table 4: Ongoing employees: agency by base classification and employment category, 31 December 2016
- Table 4: Non-ongoing employees: agency by base classification and employment category, 31 December 2016
- Table 4: All employees: agency by base classification and employment category, 31 December 2016
- Table 5: All employees: age group by base classification and employment category, 31 December 2016
- Table 6: All employees: location by base classification and employment category, 31 December 2016
- Table 7: Agency metrics, 31 December 2016
Non ongoing employees
- Table 8: Non-ongoing employees: employment status by base classification and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 9: Non-ongoing employees: agency by non-ongoing category and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 10: Non-ongoing employees: age group by base classification and gender, 31 December 2016
Ongoing employees
- Table 11: Ongoing employees: base classification by gender, 31 December 2002 to 31 December 2016
- Table 12: Ongoing employees: paid classification by gender, 31 December 2007 to 31 December 2016
- Table 13: Ongoing employees: length of service by gender, 31 December 2002 to 31 December 2016
- Table 14: Ongoing employees: age group by gender, 31 December 2002 to 31 December 2016
- Table 15: Ongoing employees: agency by base classification group, 31 December 2015 and 2016
- Table 16: Ongoing employees: agency retention, 31 December 2015 to 31 December 2016
- Table 17: Ongoing employees: agency by age group, 31 December 2016
- Table 18: Ongoing employees: agency by location, 31 December 2016
- Table 19: Ongoing employees: agency by paid classification, 31 December 2016
- Table 20: Ongoing employees: agency by temporary assignment classification, 31 December 2016
- Table 21: Ongoing employees: agency by highest educational qualification, 31 December 2016
- Table 22: Ongoing employees: agency by median length of service (years) and base classification, 31 December 2016
- Table 23: Ongoing employees: age group by base classification and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 24: Ongoing employees: highest educational qualification by base classification and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 25: Ongoing employees: base classification by paid classification and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 26: Ongoing employees: location by base classification and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 27 : Ongoing employees: mean age (years) by location, base classification and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 28: Ongoing employees: median length of service (years) by location, base classification and gender, 31 December 2016
Movements
- Table 29: Engagements of ongoing employees: age group by gender, 2002 to 2016
- Table 30: Engagements of ongoing employees: classification by gender, 2002 to 2016
- Table 31: Engagements of ongoing employees: agency by major classification group, 2015 and 2016
- Table 32: Engagements of ongoing employees: age group by classification and gender, 2016
- Table 33: Engagements of ongoing employees: prior service in APS by classification and gender, 2016
- Table 34: Engagements of ongoing employees: highest educational qualification by classification and gender, 2016
- Table 35: Engagements of ongoing employees: previous employment by classification and gender, 2016
- Table 36: Engagements of ongoing employees: location by classification and gender, 2016
- Table 37: Engagements of ongoing employees: mean age (years) by location, classification and gender, 2016
- Table 38: Promotions of ongoing employees: classification advanced from and to by gender, 2016
- Table 39: Promotions of ongoing employees: mean age (years) by location, classification and gender, 2016
- Table 40: Promotions of ongoing employees: agency by classification, 2016
- Table 41: Promotions of ongoing employees: within, from and to other agencies, 2016
- Table 42: Transfers of ongoing employees: from and to other agencies, 2016
- Table 43: Movement of ongoing employees: location from and to by gender, 2016
- Table 44: Separations of ongoing employees: type of separation by gender, 2002 to 2016
- Table 45: Separations of ongoing employees: base classification by gender, 2002 to 2016
- Table 46: Separations of ongoing employees: age group by gender, 2002 to 2016
- Table 47: Separations of ongoing employees: resignations by age group and gender, 2002 and 2016
- Table 48: Separations of ongoing employees: age retirements by age group and gender, 2002 and 2016
- Table 49: Separations of ongoing employees: retrenchments by age group and gender, 2002 to 2016
- Table 50: Separations of ongoing employees: separation type by base classification and gender, 2016
- Table 51: Separations of ongoing employees: agency by type of separation, 2015 and 2016
- Table 52: Separations of ongoing employees: agency by type of termination, 2016
- Table 53: Separations of ongoing employees: agency by base classification, 2016
- Table 54: Separations of ongoing employees: length of service by base classification and gender, 2016
- Table 55: Separations of ongoing employees: length of service by type of separation and gender, 2016
Diversity
- Table 56: Ongoing employees: diversity group, 31 December 2002 to 31 December 2016
- Table 57: Ongoing employees: agency by diversity group, 31 December 2016
- Table 57: Non-ongoing employees: agency by diversity group, 31 December 2016
- Table 57: All employees: agency by diversity group, 31 December 2016
- Table 58: Ongoing employees: base classification by diversity group and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 59: Ongoing employees: diversity group by highest educational qualification and gender, 31 December 2016
- Table 60: Engagements of ongoing employees: classification by diversity group and gender, 2016
- Table 61: Separations of ongoing employees: base classification by diversity group and gender, 2016
Appendix 1: Explanatory notes
Agencies
The organisations separately identified in this publication are based on the publication APS Agencies, which is available on the Commission's website. Due to their small size some organisations are not separately identified in the tables. Please see Appendix 4 for details.
Calculation of yearly APS change
From time to time, the number of employees covered by the PS Act is affected by changes in administrative arrangements when agencies move into or out of coverage of the PS Act. It is necessary to adjust for changes in coverage when comparing the data with previous years' data and calculating changes for the APS. Please see Appendix 2 for details.
Classification
The classifications used are those classifications listed in the Public Service Classification Rules 2000 (the Classification Rules).
Data generally refers to the base (substantive) classification, except those tables where temporary assignment or paid classification is used.
- SES includes Senior Executive Service (SES) Bands 1, 2 and 3 and SES Specialist Bands 1, 2 and 3. It also includes employees grouped with the equivalent SES Bands under the Classification Rules.
- EL classifications include Executive Levels 1 and 2. It also includes employees grouped with the equivalent Executive Levels under the Classification Rules.
- APS classifications include employees at the APS 1 to 6 levels. It also includes employees grouped with the equivalent APS levels under the Classification Rules.
- Trainee includes cadets, trainees and apprentices (but not Graduate APS, even though this is a training classification under the Classification Rules).
- Graduate refers only to those employees in a specific graduate program.
Engagement
An engagement refers to the engagement or re-engagement of employees under s. 22 of the PS Act. Employees of agencies moving into coverage of the PS Act under s. 72 are counted as engagements.
Exit rate
Is calculated as the number of separations from an agency (i.e. employees leaving the APS) plus the number of transfers and promotions out of the agency during the reporting period, divided by the average number of employees at the beginning and end of the reporting period. It refers to ongoing employees only.
Full-time/Part-time/Casual
The full-time and part-time employment status categories used in this publication refer to the number of hours worked. Full-time employees are defined as those who ordinarily work 35 hours or more per week. Employees working fewer than 35 hours per week are defined as working part-time. This definition is based on that used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in their Australian Labour Market Statistics publication (catalogue no. 6105.0).
Casual employees are those employed under s. 22(2)(c) of the PS Act for duties that are irregular or intermittent.
Highest educational qualification
Data reported is the highest qualification that the employee has reported to their agency. The full list of qualification categories is shown in the APS Employment Database Manual (Version 4.2), available on the Commission's website.
Length of service
Length of service is based on an employee's combined periods of service. Where possible, an individual's separate periods of services have been linked by matching date of birth, gender, first name (first four letters) and surname. The length of these periods of service is combined. For example, an individual who had five years of service, left the APS for two years and then returned for seven years would have a total length of service of 12 years. Previously, this individual would have been recorded as having seven years of service if they had changed Australian Government Staff Number (AGSN). Using this method it is possible to determine an individual's prior service in the APS.
Non-ongoing service is included in this calculation only where the service is on APSED; the collection of data for non-ongoing employees on APSED commenced in July 1999. Service in an agency is only included in the period that the agency was covered under the PS Act or the Public Service Act 1922 (the PS Act 1922). When an agency moves out of coverage of either of these Acts, accumulation of service ceases until the individual re-joins the APS.
Maternity-related leave
Maternity related leave should not be confused with leave under the provisions of the Maternity Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Act 1973. APSED measures the amount of time spent away from work due to having a baby. It records the date the employee commences leave and the date the employee returns to work, irrespective of the type of leave taken during this period. For further details see the APS Employment Database Manual (Version 4.2) available on the Commission's website.
Mobility rate
Is calculated as the number of transfers and promotions (s. 26 of the PS Act) between APS agencies over a financial year, divided by the average number of ongoing employees over that period.
NESB
In the absence of alternative measures, the concept 'NESB', representing people from a non-English speaking background, is used with APSED. This captures information about first language spoken, place of birth and parents' language. NESB 1 refers to people born overseas who arrived in Australia after the age of five and whose first language was not English. NESB 2 refers to children of migrants including:
- those who were born overseas and arrived in Australia when they were aged five or younger but did not speak English as a first language;
- those who were Australian born but did not speak English as a first language and had at least one parent who did not speak English as a first language;
- and those who spoke English as a first language and had neither parent speaking English as a first language.
Number of agencies worked in
Number of agencies worked in is based on an employee's combined periods of service. Movements due to machinery of government changes are not counted.
Ongoing/Non-ongoing
'Ongoing' refers to the employment of an APS employee as mentioned in s. 22(2)(a) of the PS Act. The employee is referred to as an ongoing employee.
'Non-ongoing' is a generic term which refers to the engagement of APS employees for either a specified term or for the duration of a specified task or for duties that are irregular or intermittent as mentioned in ss. 22(2)(b) and (c) of the PS Act. A person engaged on a non-ongoing basis is referred to as a non-ongoing employee.
Operative/Inoperative status
Employees who are inoperative are those on mandatory or discretionary leave without pay, or compensation leave. Maternity leave is not included. For further details see the APS Employment Database Manual (Version 4.2) available on the Commission's website.
Promotions
Promotions are ongoing assignments to a higher APS classification level, either within or between APS agencies. Promotions do not include advancements within a broadband to a higher classification level.
Retention rate
Is calculated as the number of individual ongoing employees who are employed both at the beginning and end of the reporting period, divided by the number of employees at the start of the reporting period.
Separation
A separation occurs when an employee ceases to be employed under the PS Act. It does not refer to employees moving from one APS agency to another. The terms used are:
- Resignation
- Age retirement (s. 30 of the PS Act) , which includes:
- resignations at age 55 and above
- Retrenchment, which includes:
- employee excess to the requirements of the agency (s. 29(3)(a))
- SES incentive to retire (s. 37)
- Physical or mental incapacity (s. 29(3)(d))
- Terminations of employment, which includes:
- inappropriately qualified (s. 29(3)(b))
- underperformance (s. 29(3)(c))
- non-completion of entry level training (s. 29(3)(e))
- breach of engagement condition (s. 29(3)(f))
- misconduct (s. 29(3)(g))
- Compulsory move to non-APS agency by determination made by the Public Service Commissioner under s. 72(1)(b)
- Deceased
Separation rate
Is calculated as the number of ongoing separations from the APS over a reporting period, divided by the average number of ongoing employees over that period.
Symbols and other initials
. zero value
* data has been confidentialised
(NC) Not Current—agency is no longer under coverage of the PS Act, or its functions were part of another agency, at the date of effect
Transfers
For the purpose of reporting, transfers are ongoing movements between agencies, either at the same classification level or to a lower classification level.
Appendix 2: Changes to Administrative Arrangements, July to December 2016
Movements into coverage of the PS Act
Date | Agency | Ongoing employees | Non-ongoing employees | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|
28/07/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 1 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
11/8/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 1 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
25/8/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 11 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
8/9/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 1 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
28/9/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 1 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
6/10/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 6 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
10/10/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 1 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
1/12/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 45 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
5/12/2016 | National Disability Insurance Agency | 1 | 0 | National Disability Scheme |
Machinery of Government changes between agencies
Date | Agency moved from | Agency moved to | Ongoing employees | Non-ongoing employees | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1/07/2016 | CrimTrac Agency | Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) | 226 | 4 | All CrimTrac functions to ACIC |
1/7/2016 | Independent Hospital Pricing Authority | Health | 40 | 15 | Operational staff moved to Health as part of a rationalisation of regulatory health agencies |
22/9/2016 | Industry, Innovation and Science | Environment and Energy | 211 | 7 | National energy policy |
11/10/2016 | Industry, Innovation and Science | Environment and Energy | 1 | 0 | National energy policy |
3/11/2016 | Human Services | Australian Taxation Office | 6 | 0 | Small Business Superannuation Clearing House |
1/12/2016 | Human Services | Digital Transformation Agency | 1 | 0 | MyGov policy |
1/12/2016 | Education and Training | Finance | 43 | 2 | Movement of Shared Services Centre |
1/12/2016 | Education and Training | Employment | 156 | 7 | Movement of Shared Services Centre |
1/12/2016 | Employment | Finance | 41 | 4 | Movement of Shared Services Centre |
1/12/2016 | Employment | Education and Training | 17 | 3 | Movement of Shared Services Centre |
5/12/2016 | Human Services | Australian Taxation Office | 7 | 0 | Small Business Superannuation Clearing House |
12/12/2016 | Human Services | Australian Taxation Office | 6 | 0 | Small Business Superannuation Clearing House |
15/12/2016 | Finance | Digital Transformation Agency | 35 | 0 | Whole of government information and communication technology, and procurement policy and services. |
Appendix 3: Abbreviations
ACCC
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
ACIAR
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
ACLEI
Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity
ACMA
Australian Communications and Media Authority
ACSQHC
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Agriculture
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
AIATSIS
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Studies
ANAO
Australian National Audit Office
APVMA
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
ARPANSA
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency
ASIC
Australian Securities and Investments Commission
AUSTRAC
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre
Austrade
Australian Trade Commission
Commonwealth DPP
Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
Communications
Department of Communications and the Arts
Defence
Department of Defence
Education and Training
Department of Education and Training
Employment
Department of Employment
Environment
Department of the Environment and Energy
Finance
Department of Finance
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
FSANZ
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
GBRMPA
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Health
Department of Health
Human Services
Department of Human Services
Immigration and Border Protection
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Industry, Innovation and Science
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Infrastructure and Regional Development
Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
NHMRC
National Health and Medical Research Council
NOPSEMA
National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority
OAIC
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
OFWBII
Office of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate
OIGIS
Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
Prime Minister & Cabinet
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Social Services
Department of Social Services
TEQSA
Tertiary Education and Quality Standards Agency
Treasury
Department of the Treasury
Veterans' Affairs
Department of Veterans' Affairs
Appendix 4: Organisations not separately identified in tables
Employees of indented organisations are included in the employment numbers of their portfolio Department.
Attorney-Generals
- Australian Government Solicitor
Environment
- Australian Antarctic Division
Health
- Therapeutic Goods Administration
- OGTR & NICNAS
Industry
- Australian Renewable Energy Agency
- Geoscience Australia
- IP Australia
- Questacon—National Science and Technology Centre
Treasury
- Australian Office of Financial Management
- Commonwealth Grants Commission
- Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee
- Office of the Inspector-General of Taxation
- Royal Australian Mint