Employment in central government

The purpose of the report is to give a broad description of the employment in central government.

The number of contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves in central government was about 234 000 in 2011. This is adjusted for part-time work and excludes man-years lost due to doctor-certified sickness absence or parental leave. From 2006 to 2011 the number of man-yeas in central government, excluding conscripts, increased with about 19 800. Measured as employed persons, central government had 10 per cent of all employed persons and 30 per cent of public sector in 2011.

The clearly largest division in central government was the Specialist health service (the hospitals), with 39 per cent of the man-years in 2011. Then follow the Universities and colleges with 14 per cent, the Norwegian armed forces with 8 per cent (10 per cent if conscripts are included), the Police and prosecution with 6 per cent, and the Norwegian labour and welfare service with 5 per cent. The distribution of the man-years between the divisions has been stable in the period 2006-2011.

Women stood for 55 per cent of the man-years in central government in 2011. It was the Specialist health service, with 74 per cent women, that causes the central government in total to have more than 50 per cent women. The percentage women were lowest in the Norwegian armed forces and the Norwegian coastal administration, with respectively 14 and 15 per cent women.

 The per cent of the man-years with more than four years of tertiary education was highest in the Church (78 per cent) which mainly consists of priests, followed by the Environmental protection (61 per cent) and the Immigration administration (60 per cent). The lowest share with such a long education was in the Correctional service (4 per cent), the National child welfare (6 per cent) and the Norwegian customs and excise (7 per cent). Employees with only basic school level of education stood for 7 per cent of the man-years in central government in 2011.

25 per cent of the man-years in central government were located in the county Oslo, followed by Hordaland with 10 per cent, and Sør-Trøndelag with 8 per cent. Comparisons within counties however, show that the highest share of all employed persons working in central government was in Troms, with 18 per cent, followed by Oslo with 15 per cent.

Immigrants stood for 8.7 per cent of the man-years in central government in 2011, compared to 8.4 per cent the previous year. 48 per cent of the man-years employed by immigrants in central government, had background (region of birth) from “Asia, Africa, Latin America, Oceania except Australia and New Zealand, and Europe except the EU/EEA”, while 52 per cent came from “The EU/EEA, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand”.

Of the employed persons in central government in 2010, excluding conscripts, 88 per cent had their main-position in central government also the following year. There were 33 800 new employees and 27 900 resignations, which means that the level number of employed persons in central government increased with 5 900 from 2010 to 2011. Persons under 35 years of age stood for 56 per cent of the inflow and 43 per cent of the outflow.

The Norwegian public roads administration and the Norwegian national rail administration were the divisions with the highest net growth from 2010 to 2011, with respectively 9 per cent each. The Immigration administration and the Norwegian tax administration were the divisions with the highest net decline, with respectively 6 per cent and 2 per cent.

The highest percentage change in the staff from 2010 to 2011 (the sum of inflow and outflow) had the National child welfare with 39 per cent, followed by the Universities and colleges with 37 per cent. The lowest percentage change in the staff had the National tax administration and the Norwegian customs and excise, both with about 12 per cent.