Public sector employment in Scotland [June 2012]

Industrial action over proposals to change pension and related conditions continued in the public sector and widened with industrial action planned by the BMA. In 2008 doctors had agreed to changes which meant they would work longer, increase their contributions to their pensions and accept the risk of increased contributions in the future – they believe this agreement has been ignored in recent changes. Public sector employment in Scotland continues to decline. The latest data at the time of writing this section (Q4 2011) indicates that there were 586,600 (553,000 excluding public sector financial institutions) employed in the public sector in Scotland, a decrease of 23,800 (3.9%) over the year. Employment in the devolved public sector declined by 19,100 (3.7%) to 490,400, due mainly to a decline in local government employment (down 12,000 over the year).