benkrut / Depositphotos.com
VANCOUVER — Canada added 950,000 government sector jobs between 2015 and 2024, accounting for about 30 per cent of the country’s total employment growth over that period, according to a new study from the Fraser Institute.
The report, authored by University of Regina economist Jason Childs, says public sector employment has expanded far faster than private sector employment over the past decade. Government jobs grew at an average annual rate of 2.7 per cent, compared with 1.7 per cent in the private sector.
The study found government employment increased faster than private sector employment in every province except Manitoba. The widest gaps were in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Quebec and British Columbia. The narrowest differences were in Alberta and Prince Edward Island.
Childs said the rapid expansion of government employment raises long-term concerns about the costs borne by taxpayers. He said the public sector does not generate its own revenue and relies on taxpayers to sustain it.
A related study by Childs found the number of public administrators across all levels of government grew by more than 328,000 between 2015 and 2024, an average annual increase of 3.5 per cent. Administrators typically work in ministries, agencies and offices that do not directly deliver services.
Childs said governments looking to reduce costs should closely examine the size and growth of their public administration.
Comments