Report gives new insights into Queensland’s largest workforce
Published 11 June 2024
- The State of the sector report 2024 has been released by Queensland’s Public Sector Commission.
- The report, in a new format, delivers on transparent employment reporting actions under the Even better public sector for Queensland strategy.
The Public Sector Commission today released the State of the sector report 2024 in an innovative new format that offers unprecedented transparency and insight about Queensland’s largest workforce – the Queensland public sector.
The public sector workforce is over 308,000 strong, with public servants working in frontline, frontline support and corporate roles to deliver essential services for Queenslanders.
The report shows nine out of 10 Queensland public service roles are frontline or frontline support.
Close to 70 per cent of the public sector workforce are women, with almost 54 per cent of leadership roles held by women – above the sector’s 50 per cent target.
Most public sector employees work in health (41 per cent) and education (32 per cent). In the past year, the health workforce grew by 6546 full-time equivalent employees (FTE), and the education workforce grew by 513 FTE.
The sectors’ progress towards diversity targets continues, with small increases in:
- Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples from 2.55 to 2.66 per cent (4 per cent target)
- people living with disability from 3.40 to 3.54 per cent (12 per cent target)
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds from 7.49 to 8.24 per cent (12 per cent target).
The report also shows most public servants are supported to access flexible work, with 92 per cent of employees who asked for flexible work having their requests fully or partially granted.
To find out more about the sector’s operating environment, people, diversity, work environment, performance and future read new State of the sector report 2024.
This new format report includes more data than ever before, presented with interactive tables and graphs designed to enhance user engagement and understanding.
Multiple data sets have been used including workforce data (minimum obligatory human resource information), Working for Queensland employee opinion results and conduct and performance data.
Publishing the data annually in this report format minimises the impacts of seasonal workforce data variations and provides a more accurate reflection of the public sector workforce.
Quotes attributable to Mr David Mackie, Public Sector Commissioner
“By providing comprehensive data in interactive formats, and with greater analysis and explanation than ever before, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the public sector workforce and our employees’ experiences,” the Commissioner said.
“This enhanced report underscores our commitment to transparency and accountability.”
“The State of the sector report will be published annually and each year we will learn from the last, by listening to feedback – helping us to continually deliver an even better public sector for Queensland.”
About the Public Sector Commission
The Public Sector Commission is dedicated to promoting excellence in the Queensland public sector through transparency, accountability and the provision of high-quality data and analysis. The Public Sector Commission works to support effective governance and informed decision-making across the public sector.
Hear the Commissioner’s introduction of the State of the sector report here: forgov.qld.gov.au/stateofthesector.
Data referenced in media release: Working for Queensland 2023 and minimum obligatory human resource information March 2023 – March 2024.
Media enquiries
Email media@psc.qld.gov.au or phone 07 3003 2863 for all media enquiries, including your preferred deadline.