Nunavut has the largest government payroll outside Scandinavia, according to new Statistics Canada figures that estimate 29% of the territory’s workforce is employed by government..“The public service is the largest employer in Nunavut,” said the StatsCan report Nunavut Government Employee Survey 2021. Of a total population of 25,000 over the age 15 “the combined public sector territorial and federal workforce had approximately 7200 employees,” it said..According to Blacklock's Reporter, the public payroll was equal to a total of 29% of Nunavut’s eligible workforce, compared to 30% in Sweden. Most in Nunavut were territorial employees with about 600 federal staff, said StatsCan..“Approximately 61% of government employees working in Nunavut held permanent or indeterminate jobs in 2021, the same proportion as in 2016,” wrote analysts. “All remaining employees held non-permanent positions that fell under the seasonal, term, contract or casual employee categories.”.Salaries and benefits account for 31% of Nunavut’s $2.5 billion annual budget, according to Public Accounts. Employee costs totalled $777.8 million last year compared to $649.9 million in 2017 — a 20% increase in five years..Canada overall has one of the largest public payrolls of any English-speaking country with governments employing 20% of the workforce, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It compares to 18% in Australia and New Zealand, 17% in the United Kingdom and 15% in the United States and Ireland..A 2021 report noted public payrolls grew even before the global pandemic happened. “Between 2007 and 2019 general government employment grew in 23 OECD countries,” said the report..“Some alleviation of standards is inevitable in an emergency but must be limited in scope and time to avoid damaging citizen perceptions of the competence, openness, transparency, and fairness of government,” said the report..The OECD noted the “size of general government employment varies significantly among OECD countries.” Rates tended to be higher in Europe and lower in Asia..Norway and Sweden had the highest public payrolls among OECD countries at 30% followed by Denmark (28%), Iceland (25%), Finland (24%), Estonia (23%), Lithuania (22%), France (21%), and Latvia (20%).
