As of 30 June 2021, there were the equivalent of 61,100 full-time public servants working in New Zealand across a wide range of occupations. These public servants delivered high-quality services, responded to global challenges, while implementing the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just under half work in the Wellington region, with 55% spread across the rest of the country.
The Public Service increased by 3,950 full-time equivalent roles in 2021. This workforce growth was primarily due to two factors:
Despite this extra work, the Public Service’s reliance on contractors and consultants is starting to trend down. There has been a 3% reduction in spending on contractors and consultants. This comes after public monitoring and reporting of this expenditure was established in 2019, with the aim to reduce reliance on external capability.
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