The 2011 Federal Government Budget states that the public sector is expected to increase its workforce by more than 1000 jobs for jobs in the government and simultaneously hundreds of government workers will loose their jobs in the government by July 2012. The Federal Government hopes that this cost cutting will save more than $1bn in efficiencies.
The government has increased the public service efficiency dividend by half a per cent for the next two years and then 0.25 per cent over the following two years. In terms of actual staff numbers, the number of jobs in the government remains unchanged despite the cuts to jobs in the government.
The following are the major changes in the 2011 Federal Government Budget to jobs in the government for various government departments:
• The Education Department will cut 270 staff but concurrently 155 jobs in the government will be formed to sustain the new National Vocational Education and Training Regulator from July 1 2011.
• The consolidation of Centrelink and Medicare under the Human Services banner will mean losses of 1016 and 102 of jobs in the government, respectively.
• The Attorney-General’s Department will lose around 147 workers, Customs 90 jobs, and the Australian Crime Commission 23 jobs in the government.
• But the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has the green light to hire an extra 45 staff for jobs in the government.
• Defence force numbers are set to increase by about 5 per cent in the coming year, although it will cut 1000 civilian jobs in the government.
There are many losers and very little winners in the 2011 Federal Government Budget. However there are still good opportunities for people looking for jobs in the government depending on which government department you would like to work for. The public sector still remains one of the most stable and secure organisation for people looking for jobs in the government.