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The Public Service Commission reveals that the public sector has seen a sharp decline in its workforce, with the number of civil servants falling to 25,299 by August this year.

According to PSC Chair, Luke Rokovada, in December 2022, the civil service employed around 28,000 workers, reflecting a loss of approximately 5,000 employees over the past year and a half.

Rokovada attributed the decline to migration and overseas job opportunities, with many civil servants, including around 500 nurses, transitioning to roles overseas or with Aspen Medical following the transfer of operations at key hospitals.

He says the workforce exodus has impacted several key ministries, including health, agriculture, and education, which continue to face high turnover rates.

“The majority of civil servants who resigned to migrate were teachers. We’re talking about migrating overseas. Nurses, allied health workers, trade and skilled people, professionals, IT specialists, finance managers, sectors that are experiencing high international demand.”

However, Rokovada says there has been some improvement, with turnover declining by eight percent between 2022 and 2023.

“We feel this is a reflection of the initiatives and policies implemented by government focused on improving job satisfaction, retention, streamlining processes, and bringing out improvements through dialogue with public sector unions and collaboration efforts within ministries.”

Rokovada says the government is actively responding to the skills shortage through a series of initiatives aimed at retention, job satisfaction, and workforce development.