Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

Federal spending on staff grew during pandemic

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Apr, 2023 09:51 AM
  • Federal spending on staff grew during pandemic

OTTAWA - The federal government's spending on employees saw record growth during the COVID-19 pandemic,says the parliamentary budget officer.

A newly published report says federal spending on personnel increased by almost 31 per cent between the 2019-20 and 2021-22 fiscal years.

Spending on salaries, pensions and other employee compensation rose from $46.3 billion to $60.7 billion over that time period.

The report says the public service expanded by the equivalent of 31,227 full-time employees between April 2020 and March 2022, which departments attribute mostly to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, average compensation for the equivalent of a full-time employee rose by 6.6 per cent, from $117,497 in 2019-20 to $125,300 in 2021-22.

The Parliamentary Budget Office says the increase in salaries was the largest contributor to the rise in total compensation, but spending on pensions, overtime and bonuses also grew at a faster rate.

The PBO says expenditure could rise further, with 26 out of 28 bargaining groups currently negotiating collective agreements.

If the entire public service were to see compensation rise by 4.5 per cent between 2021 and 2023, and by the rate of inflation thereafter, this could amount to $16.2 billion in additional spending between 2023-24 and 2027-28, the report says.

Based on the 2023-24 departmental plans, the public service will reach the equivalent of 428,000 full-time employees this fiscal year.

That amounts to an increase of 23,000 full-time jobs compared to last year's plans.

The report says the Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada account for two-thirds of that increase.

But the budget watchdog adds that the departments' current plans don't include the likely increase in workers that will be needed to carry out new measures announced in the 2023 budget.

By the same token, the federal Liberals promised in the budget to cut spending on the public service by three per cent by 2026-27. It is unclear how that will affect staffing.

The report says that as things stand, by 2025-26, the total number of full-time employees in the government is projected to fall to 400,000 — a number that still exceeds pre-pandemic levels.

The government was plagued by service delays during the pandemic, prompting additional hiring to ease backlogs.

MORE National ARTICLES

Inflation expected to have eased again in February

Inflation expected to have eased again in February
Statistics Canada is set to release its February consumer price index report on Tuesday, giving its most up-to-date reading on inflation ahead of the federal government's budget on March 28. Desjardins and RBC are both forecasting the inflation rate fell to 5.4 per cent last month, down from 5.9 per cent in January.

Inflation expected to have eased again in February

Man shot, killed by police in Prince George, B.C.

Man shot, killed by police in Prince George, B.C.
A statement from RCMP says the force has notified the independent B.C. office that investigates all cases of police-involved death or serious injury. Staff Sgt. Kris Clark says officers were called to Highway 97 just south of Prince George on Thursday because the man was in his vehicle and having a mental health crisis.

Man shot, killed by police in Prince George, B.C.

Homes under construction in Burnaby, Coquitlam, and West Vancouver targeted by theft home finishings and fixtures stolen.

Homes under construction in Burnaby, Coquitlam, and West Vancouver targeted by theft home finishings and  fixtures stolen.
The stolen property included everything from stoves, fridges, toilets and plumbing fixtures, to flooring and lighting, with many items still in their original packaging. The value of seized goods is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some individual items are estimated to be worth as much as $25,000.

Homes under construction in Burnaby, Coquitlam, and West Vancouver targeted by theft home finishings and fixtures stolen.

Discrimination found at human rights body: union

Discrimination found at human rights body: union
It said the Treasury Board Secretariat found the commission breached the "no discrimination" clause in its collective agreement, and has invited parties to engage in a mediation process to seek a meaningful resolution.  The union is calling the March 6 decision an important win, and one that will have consequences across the federal public service.

Discrimination found at human rights body: union

Councillor '100%' in support of interference probe

Councillor '100%' in support of interference probe
 The report says consulate officials worked to oust then-mayor Kennedy Stewart and elect a new mayor and a certain city councillor. Ongoing concerns about possible foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections spurred Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to name former governor general David Johnston to investigate.

Councillor '100%' in support of interference probe

Killer says Amanda Zhao may be alive, enraging mom

Killer says Amanda Zhao may be alive, enraging mom
The 21-year-old English student’s remains had been found stuffed in a suitcase in Mission, B.C., and Yang’s identification of her daughter was also confirmed by a police DNA test. More than 20 years later, any sense of closure thatact offered has been torn apart by the claims of Zhao's convicted killer, Ang Li, that he was framed by China's government and Zhao might not be dead at all.

Killer says Amanda Zhao may be alive, enraging mom