Public sector staff numbers drop, report finds

The Department of Infrastructure saw the greatest reduction from April to June

The number of people working in government services on the Isle of Man has fallen, a report has found.

A quarterly review looking into public sector efficiencies has found staffing levels reduced by 32 from 7,842 to 7,810 from April to June.

While numbers are down overall, there have been increases in the number of people working in Manx Care frontline roles and within the Isle of Man Constabulary.

The decline marks the first quarterly reduction of people in full-time equivalent (FTE) roles since June 2023.

In a statement in June last year, the chief minister committed to regular reviews of the number of workers in the public sector.

The third quarterly report updates figures of those in FTE jobs, which have risen by 5.8% over the last four years.

'A focused effort'

A spokeswoman for the government said the latest change reflected "normal shifts in workforce levels that occur in any large organisation as people move roles, join or leave, and essential positions are filled or adjusted".

But it also highlighted government's "ongoing efforts to ensure workforce levels remain responsive, efficient, and aligned with core service delivery needs", she said.

In the police force there has been an increase in both civilian and warranted officers.

And while there has been a rise in the number of frontline staff in Manx Care, there staff in supporting roles had dropped, which demonstrated "a focused effort to prioritise direct service delivery", the spokeswoman said.

The reduction equates to about one FTE job, which despite being "modest", reflected the first downward direction in Manx Care since September 2022, she continued.

Elsewhere in the Department of Infrastructure there was a drop of more than 17 FTE positions, and more than five in the Department of Education, Sport and Culture.

Of the other departments, the Treasury was down more than four positions, while there was a fall for more than three at Environment, Food and Agriculture.

However there were increases in staff were seen in the Department of Home Affairs, where officers were employed by the police force.