As of April 1, there were 136,778 people employed in the public sector in Estonia, compared with 136,178 in 2023, marking a 0.4 percent increase in staffing.

According to the Ministry of Finance, most of the new hires were in education, including at new state-run schools. For example, the staff at Tallinn Pelgulinna State High School increased from 37 to 66, and at Mustamäe State High School from 33 to 56.

The number of support specialists in education also grew, as did staffing at universities, due in part to changes in higher education laws that reclassified PhD students as junior researchers. The University of Tartu had 3,495 employees at the end of 2023; that number has now risen to 3,693. Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) saw an even larger increase, from 1,698 to 1,908 employees.

Staffing also grew in the security sector. The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) employed 4,520 people by April, 34 more than at the end of 2023. The number of salaried personnel in the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) rose by 148 to a total of 3,787.

State hospitals also saw an increase in healthcare personnel. Staffing at Tartu University Hospital rose by 136 to 4,375, while North Estonia Medical Center added 87 employees for a total of 4,028. Although governed by the local government rather than the state, East Tallinn Central Hospital also saw an increase of 52 employees, reaching a total of 2,265.

At the same time, some agencies saw reductions. The Tax and Customs Board now has 31 fewer positions. Prisons and the Agriculture and Food Board also experienced staff cuts, with the latter losing 58 positions. The Social Insurance Board shrank by 49 posts.

The public sector is divided into the general government sector — which includes central government institutions, local governments, and social insurance funds — and other public sector entities. While general government staffing grew by 1,332, the rest of the public sector contracted by 712. Employee numbers declined at Enefit Power, Eesti Post, Eesti Energia and the State Forest Management Center (RMK).

"There have been shifts between sectors and institutions," the Ministry of Finance explained. "For instance, Estonian Railways moved from the broader public sector into the central government. Some local government schools have become state schools and there have been internal reorganizations within state-owned groups. Functions within state institutions have also been realigned, leading to staff transfers between agencies."

Looking specifically at the general government sector, it has grown by 1,332 people since the end of 2023 and now employs 126,023 individuals. The increase is mainly attributed to central government employees, whose numbers rose by 1,492 in under a year and a half. This includes the previously mentioned growth in the police, hospitals, defense forces, universities and similar institutions.

Meanwhile, staffing at government agencies increased by 98. Breaking it down further, constitutional institutions and the Government Office had 18 fewer employees at the beginning of April compared to the end of 2023. Agencies and inspectorates were down by 188, and ministries by 51.

Still, some ministries did add positions: the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Defense each gained three employees, the Ministry of Justice added 45 and the Ministry of Social Affairs added six.

Government-managed institutions also saw 354 new positions created.

Employees were also added at state-owned enterprises, foundations, nonprofits and public-law legal entities. At the end of 2023, they employed 25,818 people. By early April, that number had grown by 1,395.

In contrast, local government employment fell by 81 to 66,243, while staffing at social insurance funds declined by 79 to 1,079.

The current and previous governments of the Reform Party and Eesti 200 have talked about the need to dial back public sector spending, including by streamlining public sector agencies and jobs.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!