Chapter 2: Statistical snapshot

Abbreviations

A list of the abbreviations used in this report is available in the Glossary

Key chapter findings

The APS grew strongly this year, even allowing for Medicare Australia moving into coverage of the Act. Growth was evident in both ongoing and non-ongoing employment, and was spread across many agencies. The increase in employees reflects a range of new initiatives including in the areas of Welfare to Work, providing more support for families and carers, and further initiatives aimed at improving Australia’s security, and enhancing levels of international engagement.

There has been a general consolidation of trends towards a more skilled workforce. This is shown, for example, in:

continuing falls in recruitment at the APS 1 and 2 classifications
a focus on the APS 3 and 4 classifications as the major entry point into the APS
an increase in the proportion of employees with graduate qualifications
the high proportion of recruits with graduate qualifications
an increase in engagements at more senior levels.

There are some signs that the trend towards reduced mobility between agencies, highlighted through MAC’s report on Managing and Sustaining the APS Workforce as a concern about the limited breadth of experience in future leaders, may be beginning to reverse. There have been improved rates of mobility between agencies for two years; however, this growth will need to be sustained for some years before the concerns identified through MAC could be said to have been addressed. Continuing high rates of external engagements, including from some employees returning to APS employment, is also adding to the breadth of experience in the APS.

Excluding Medicare Australia, the ‘typical’ new starter in the APS is a 31 year old with graduate qualifications, at the APS 3 level and more likely to be a woman than a man.

As in 2005, the ‘typical’ APS employee continues to be a 42 year old with graduate qualifications, at the APS 4 level and is again more likely to be a woman than a man.

The feminisation of the APS, evident for many years, appears to be accelerating, especially at higher classification levels. The growth in women’s representation this year was exaggerated by the movement of Medicare Australia into coverage of the Act, but even allowing for this impact, growth in female representation is still strong. Women are, however, still concentrated at lower classifications, although their representation grew most strongly at SES Band 3 this year.

The decline in employment of people with disability and Indigenous Australians continued this year. These trends are symptomatic of structural change in the APS and a short-term turnaround is unlikely. The APS is making strenuous efforts to improve employment outcomes for these groups. These trends are discussed in more detail in Chapter 5.

A positive outcome this year was the strong growth in engagements for graduate trainees. The long- term decline in youth employment continues to be of concern; however, the proportional growth in the under 25 age group this year is encouraging. This growth needs to be sustained to counter the further ageing of the APS workforce, reflecting the general ageing of the Australian workforce. At the other end of the spectrum, the continuing trend towards more flexible employment arrangements for older workers, such as part-time work and shorter-term non-ongoing projects, appears to be helping agencies do better at retaining mature-age workers.

The challenges for agencies for workforce planning and succession management, especially in the SES leadership group, remain a priority, particularly for those agencies with a substantial proportion of their workforce aged 45 or over.

Agencies need to ensure that they market themselves as a potential employer to a wide range of employees and continue to draw on the full diversity of the workforce. In this regard, some agencies need to look at how they can be more attractive, particularly at junior levels, to men and to younger employees.