Home
› Statistical snapshot
› Size of the APS › Diversity trends › Ongoing and non-ongoing employees › Part-time employees › Classification structures
Classification structures
Table 2.1 compares ongoing employee numbers by classification level as at June 2004 and June 2005. The substantial decrease in the number of ongoing APS 1–2 employees (from 7713 at June 2004 to 6353 at June 2005) indicates a return to the very significant long-term decline at those levels, despite a slight reversal last year. There were increases in both Graduate APS and other trainee classifications, as well as at all classification levels at the APS 6 level and above.
Table 2.1: Ongoing employees by classification, 2004 and 2005
| Classification | 2004 | % | 2005 | % |
| APS 1 | 1434 | 1.2 | 1064 | 0.9 |
| APS 2 | 6279 | 5.1 | 5289 | 4.3 |
| APS 3 | 17344 | 14.2 | 17453 | 14.2 |
| APS 4 | 27479 | 22.5 | 26727 | 21.7 |
| APS 5 | 16286 | 13.3 | 16168 | 13.1 |
| APS 6 | 24806 | 20.3 | 25641 | 20.8 |
| EL1 | 16527 | 13.5 | 17847 | 14.5 |
| EL 2 | 9458 | 7.7 | 9880 | 8.0 |
| SES | 1899 | 1.6 | 2025 | 1.6 |
| Trainee | 271 | 0.2 | 379 | 0.3 |
| Graduate APS | 522 | 0.4 | 769 | 0.6 |
| Total | 122305 | 100.0 | 123242 | 100.0 |
Source: APSED
In past years, this report has noted the long-term reduction in the number of ongoing employees at the APS 1–2 levels, and the increasing number of employees at higher levels. This is broadly due to changes in the nature of the work undertaken in the APS, changes in job design and the need for a more highly-skilled workforce. This year there is evidence of stronger growth at more senior levels. Compared to June 2004, there was a net reduction in the number of employees at the APS 1–5 levels of 2121 employees. Over the same period, there was a net increase in the number of employees at the APS 6 and EL 1 classifications of 2155.6
When proportions are used to eliminate variation due to changes in the size of the APS over the past 15 years, 2004–05 appears as the first year in which there has been a reduction at every level from APS 1 to APS 5 in comparison with the previous year.
Despite the continued growth in women’s representation in the APS, there is still a considerable difference between the classification profiles of men and women, particularly at higher classification levels. Figure 2.8 shows the proportion of men and women at selected classifications. Women outnumber men at all APS 1–6 classification levels, with the proportion of women falling sharply at higher levels.
Figure 2.8: Ongoing employees by classification and sex, June 2005
Source: APSED
The increase in female representation among ELs and in the SES continues at a faster rate than at lower classifications, as shown in Figure 2.9. In this graph, each number is weighted using the June 1996 total ongoing staff numbers as a base. Weighting eliminates the effects that the change in the overall size of the APS has on representation. The index is given a value of 100 at June 1996, and rises and falls proportionally with the particular group’s change in the weighted number over time.
Trends in women’s employment by classification are discussed in detail in Chapter 9.
Figure 2.9: Change in the number of women at selected classifications, weighted and indexed, 1996 to 2005
Source: APSED
6 These numbers have not been adjusted to take into account the change in the size of the APS; however, as there was only a very slight increase in the total number of ongoing employees during 2004–05, the shift is still substantial.
