the local government workforce · state departments of local government. one of our most downloaded...

The Local Government Workforce

Trends and Blips on the Radar

2UTS CENTRE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Workforce Program

WORKFORCE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENTWORKFORCE AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATASECTOR POSITIONING


National Workforce Strategy

Local government requires significant and diverse workforce to provide increasingly diverse and complex servicesLocal government can be a more capable partner by future-proofing workforce and addressing key challenges:

Attraction DevelopmentRetention



Consistent approach to workforce planning and developmentBuilds on and reinforces existing good practices

Workforce planning and development

Data collection

Skills development and capacity building

1

2

3



Improving workforce

planning and development

Promoting as a place-based employer of

choice

Retaining and attracting a

diverse workforce

Creating a contemporary

workforceInvesting in

skills

Improving productivity and

leveraging technology

Maximising management

and leadership

Implementation and

collaboration

National Profile of the Local Government Workforce


The First National Profile

+ | Australian Local Government Workforce and Employment Census

• Designed to support National Workforce Strategy

• Piloted with councils around Australia then launched November 2012 – closed late January 2013

• 232 metro, regional and rural councils, representing over 67,000, or a third of estimated total workforce

- | Some Challenges

• Poor representation from some jurisdictions -underscores importance of national approach

• Results compared with other sources to confirm accuracy (i.e. ABS, NSW Office of Local Government)


The First National Profile

Combined ALGWE Census and other data:

1. ABS Census, place of work and usual residence

2. ABS Census, longitudinal database3. ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours4. Electoral Commissions5. Comparative performance information from

State departments of local government

One of our most downloaded publications


Major findings from 2011

Spatial distribution

CoAG Public Sector Employment Targets

Place-based employment

5%Attraction and

Retention

Female Managers and

Councillors

Amalgamations Engineering and Infrastructure

Ageing Workforce

How the sector is shaping up in 2016


Data Sources

1. ABS Census, place of work and usual residence databases2. ABS Census, longitudinal database (time series data)*Includes changes to number and boundaries of local governments following mergers and de-mergers in NSW and Qld between 2011 and 2016

Census underestimates the number of local government employees

ABS Survey of Employee Earningsand Hours (Public Sector, 2017) Difference ABS Census, 2016 (POW)

189,500 -19% 153,308 (~80% of estimated sector workforce)

Challenges for particular services (e.g.):1. Libraries2. Swimming pools3. Contract outdoor staff4. Regional airports


What is the local government sector?

Legal entities established by political processes that have legislative, judicial or executive authority over other institutional units within a given area:1. Has funds of its own, raised by taxing other

institutional units or received as transfers from other government units;

2. Has authority to disburse some, or all, of such funds in the pursuit of its policy objectives; and

3. Has authority to borrow funds on its own account

All entities for which a local government can determine financial and operating policies governing the entity's strategic or long-term directions:1. Financial corporations 2. Government agencies and departments3. Non-financial corporations controlled by government4. Notional institutional units controlled by government5. Public financial and non-financial corporationsE.g. Regional airports

What is a government unit?


Workforce size

153,308148,585SEE

192,500SEE

189,500


Average council size

The average urban and regional council workforce is

larger in 2016 by

25%Rural councils by

15%

2016Number of employees

Number of local governments Average size

Urban 72534 137 529Regional 51247 114 450Rural 27093 294 92

2011Number of employees

Number of local governments Average size

Urban 62843 149 422Regional 42420 117 363Rural 24205 302 80


Average council size

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS NT

Urban 19821 25418 11591 10123 4069 751 489Regional 19161 9488 18250 1599 789 1582 378Rural 8162 3106 4608 4884 4307 1004 1022

NUMBER OF COUNCILSUrban 33 33 14 29 20 3 3Regional 36 24 30 7 7 8 2Rural 60 23 35 101 44 19 12

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEESNSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS NT

Urban 19800 21263 8150 8719 3688 665 558Regional 13471 8091 16500 1623 671 1480 584Rural 5926 3126 3799 4242 3728 994 2390

NUMBER OF COUNCILSUrban 44 33 20 30 20 3 3Regional 38 24 29 7 7 8 2Rural 71 23 32 101 44 19 12


Spatial distribution

48%

63%

78%

17%

32%

62% 63%69%

63% 61%

34%

29%

20%

36%

33%

25% 26%22%

28% 31%

18%9%

3%

46%

35%

12% 10% 9% 9% 8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Local Government State Government CommonwealthGovernment

Agriculture, Forestryand Fishing

Mining Manufacturing Construction Transport, Postal andWarehousing

Education and TrainingHealth Care and SocialAssistance

Urban Regional Rural


Place-based employment

448Number of councils

where more than 50% of the workforce live locally

423Number of councils

where more than 50% of the workforce live locally


Ageing workforce

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

15 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 74 to 84 85 and over

National workforce - 2006 National workforce - 2011 National workforce - 2016Local government workforce - 2006 Local government workforce - 2011 Local government workforce - 2016

2006

2011 2016

2006

2011

2006

2011

2016

2016


Education

Increasing Skill Level

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

Doctoral Degree Level Master Degree Level Graduate DiplomaLevel

Graduate CertificateLevel

Bachelor Degree Level Advanced Diplomaand Associate Degree

Level

Diploma Level Certificate III & IVLevel

Certificate I & II Level

2016 Male 2016 Female 2011 Male 2011 Female


Education

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Doctoral Degree Level Master Degree Level Graduate Diploma Level Graduate CertificateLevel

Bachelor Degree Level Advanced Diploma andAssociate Degree Level

Diploma Level Certificate III & IV Level Certificate I & II Level

2016 Male 2016 Female 2011 Male 2011 Female

Increasing Skill Level


Local Government Workforce 2016 2011Total N % Male % Female % Change N change % Male % Female

General Managers 556 69% 32% 8% 67 77% 24%Finance Managers 596 57% 43% 7% 67 63% 36%Policy and Planning Managers 837 44% 56% 6% 24 50% 50%Research and Development Managers 173 60% 42% 11% 27 68% 31%Construction Managers 1062 87% 13% 4% 89 91% 10%Engineering Managers 579 90% 9% 4% 22 95% 5%Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers 176 69% 31% 13% 29 79% 18%

Female Executives and Managers

National Workforce 2016 2011Total N % Male % Female % Change N Change % Male % Female

General Managers 110595 75% 25% 2% 7124 77% 23%Finance Managers 47012 54% 46% 3% 3771 57% 43%Policy and Planning Managers 21268 44% 56% 3% 2360 46% 54%Research and Development Managers 10965 54% 46% 4% 1130 58% 42%Construction Managers 92380 93% 7% 1% 2466 94% 6%Engineering Managers 15421 91% 9% 1% -76 92% 8%Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers 32553 78% 22% 8% 475 86% 14%


Top 25 Occupations

General Clerks 6529Urban and Regional Planners 5108Information Officers 4747Contract, Program and Project Administrators 4386Gardeners 4080Truck Drivers 3706Welfare Support Workers 3608Aged and Disabled Carers 3484Other Miscellaneous Labourers 3429Inspectors and Regulatory Officers 3337Civil Engineering Professionals 3298Child Carers 3085Other Specialist Managers 2978Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians 2804Labourers 2695Accounting Clerks 2483Garden and Nursery Labourers 2348Librarians 2307Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals 2202Earthmoving Plant Operators 2112Library Assistants 2047Personal Assistants 1926Gallery, Library and Museum Technicians 1868Accountants 1730Building and Plumbing Labourers 1685

PlannersLibrarians / Library Asst.

Rubbish and recycling collectors

Paving and surface

labourers


Indigenous employment

Despite changes to the CDEP, local government is

still the only level of government that has met the

CoAG target

1.63%2.16%

8.54%

1.38%1.93%

2.45%

6.13%

2.13%2.07% 2.13%

4.12%

1.57%

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

Federal Government State Government Local Government Private Sector

2006 2011 2016

CoAG Target (2.6%)

13830

2381

1842

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

2011 2016

CDEP Non CDEP


Time series data identifies attraction and retention rates

ABS Census Longitudinal Time

series data

National Government

State/Territory Government

Local Government Private sector Total

National Government 244903.6 27724.7 2079.8 83361 358251.4

State/Territory Government 26688 634826.8 6713.7 248335.9 916603.9

Local Government 1396.2 6104.3 92850.7 33748.6 134102

Private sector 111843.1 331310.3 49689.8 6715798.8 7208873.8

Total 384925.5 1000029.1 151338 7081335.7 8617653.2

2016

2011


Gains, 2011-16


series data

National Government






Private sector 111843.1 331310.3 49689.8 6715798.8 7208873.8

Total 384925.5 1000029.1 151338 7081335.7 8617653.2

2016


Losses, 2011-16


series data

National Government






Private sector 111843.1 331310.3 49689.8 6715798.8 7208873.8

Total 384925.5 1000029.1 151338 7081335.7 8617653.2

2011


Retention, 2011-16

ABS Census Longitudinal

Timeseries data

National Government






Private sector 111843.1 331310.3 49689.8 6715798.8 7208873.8

Total 384925.5 1000029.1 151338 7081335.7 8617653.2

2016

2011


38% (N=58,480)

Federal Government

3%

State Government

11%Private Sector

84%

30% (N=41,249)

Federal Government

3%

State Government

15%Private Sector

82%

Attraction and retention

-Employees lost 2011-16

+Employees gained 2011-16

Employees retained 2011-16

Federal Government

State Government

Local Government

Contact usUTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance UTS Centre for Local Government University of Technology Sydney15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 200702 9514 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/public-policy-and-governance

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