Public sector recruiting despite cuts call

The public sector employed an extra 6,300 people in the last 12 months despite being told to tighten its belt, it emerged today.

In contrast to mounting job losses in the current economic downturn, the CSO revealed overall employment in the public sector jumped from 362,000 in March 2007 to 368,300 in March this year.

The figures were released just two days after it was revealed that 17,500 new people joined the dole queue this month.

Average earnings in the industry also rose by 3.6% in the same period.

The sector includes the Civil Service, the Gardaí, defence, education, health, local authorities and semi-state bodies.

Some 258,000 people were employed in all the sectors, excluding health, up from 251,000 on last year’s figure.

In the same period, jobs in education increased from 97,700 to 101,400, a rise of 3,700.

Elsewhere, employment in health dropped by 100 from 110,400 in March 2007 to 110,300.

Earlier this month, the Government revealed its tax take for the first half of the year was €1.45bn behind schedule.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan later outlined a dramatic plan to balance the Exchequer books with all departments, state agencies and local authorities ordered to cut payroll costs by 3%.

Officials in all public bodies except health and education were ordered to make the massive savings by the end of next year as efforts intensify to limit the damage from a recession.

The mid-year review, agreed by the Cabinet last month, also includes plans to axe surplus staff in the Health Service Executive and halt spending on accommodation for decentralisation schemes.

Mr Lenihan said the plans would save almost €1.4bn in the next 18 months.