About the Civil Service
Civil Service Statistics 2004 annual report
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Diversity
Cabinet Office produces statistics regarding the gender, ethnic origin, disability status and age of the Civil Service workforce. All diversity data relate to civil servants counted on a headcount basis. They include permanent non-industrials and industrials and exclude casual staff. In addition to the tables referred to in the following commentary, further diversity tables are available including analyses by Government Office Region and working pattern.
Gender
On 1 April 2004 around 52.3 per cent of permanent staff in post were women. This was the same proportion as a year earlier.
Table J shows the working pattern of permanent female staff by responsibility level. As in previous years women made up the majority of staff in junior grades. On 1 April 2004 some 62.0 per cent of administrative staff were women compared to around 62.6 per cent a year earlier. The proportion of women in the more senior grades has continued to increase. On 1 April 2004 the proportion of women in Grades 6 and 7 increased to about 32.7 per cent from around 29.4 per cent in April 2003. Similarly, some 25.8 per cent of staff at Senior Civil Service (SCS) level were women, an increase from around 24.1 per cent in April 2003. A comparison of these figures from April 2003 and April 2004 is shown in Chart 11.
- Chart 11 - Female staff as a percentage of staff by responsibility level; 2003 and 2004
- Table J - Working pattern of permanent female staff by responsibility level; 2003 and 2004 [23KB XLS]
Note: SCS level includes senior Diplomatic Service personnel, scientists and other specialists as well as those in the Senior Civil Service itself.
Chart 12 shows the proportion of female staff by responsibility level. On 1 April 2004 some 55.6 per cent of female staff were in administrative grades, compared to 57.4 per cent of female staff in April 2003. Some 3.0 per cent of female staff were in Grades 6 and 7 in April 2004 compared to 2.4 per cent a year earlier. However, the proportion of female staff in SCS level remained the same between April 2003 and April 2004 at around 0.4 per cent.
Chart 13 shows a comparison of figures regarding part-time staff by responsibility level on 1 April 2003 and 1 April 2004. In April 2004, some 16.8 per cent of civil servants worked part-time hours. Part-time working was most common in the lower grades with around 22.3 per cent of administrative staff contracted to work less than the conditioned hours for their grade. Some 7.9 per cent of staff in Grades 6 and 7 and 4.6 per cent of staff at SCS level were contracted to work less than the conditioned hours for their grade.
Table J also shows that on 1 April 2004, some 89.7 per cent of all part-time staff were women, a decrease from 90.5 per cent in April 2003.
- Table J - Working pattern of permanent female staff by responsibility level; 2003 and 2004 [23KB XLS]
Ethnic Origin
On 1 April 2004 the proportion of staff from minority ethnic backgrounds was around 8.2 per cent. This was an increase from 8.0 per cent a year earlier. In spring 2004 around 7.3 per cent of the economically active population were from minority ethnic backgrounds according to the Labour Force Survey (www.statistics.gov.uk/ CCI/nscl.asp?ID=5006) [External website].
Table H shows the ethnic origin of the Civil Service workforce by responsibility level. As in previous years, staff from minority ethnic backgrounds continue to be more highly represented in junior grades than senior grades. On 1 April 2004, some 9.7 per cent of staff in administrative grades were from an ethnic minority, and the proportion of staff in the Executive Officer (EO) grade equivalents was around 8.9 per cent. At a more senior level, some 4.9 per cent of staff in Grades 6 and 7 and around 3.3 per cent at SCS level were from an ethnic minority. A comparison of these figures from April 2004 and those from April 2003 is shown in Chart 14.
- Table H - Ethnic origin of permanent staff by responsibility level; 2003 and 2004 [22KB XLS]
- Chart 14 - Ethnic minority staff as a percentage of staff with known ethnic origin by responsibility level; 2003 and 2004
Data on ethnic origin are affected by changes in data quality (scroll down to paragraph below on Diversity: Non-response) and in the grade structure (see section on Pay and Grading), and may also be affected by the introduction of new ethnicity categories in 2001. Therefore they need to be interpreted with some caution.
Chart 15 shows a further breakdown of the proportion of permanent staff in each ethnic group where ethnic origin was known. On 1 April 2004 some 91.8 per cent of the Civil Service workforce were from a White background. Where ethnic origin was known, some 3.8 per cent of civil servants classified themselves as of Asian origin and 2.5 per cent were of Black origin. Around 0.9 per cent of staff were of Mixed origin and around 0.2 per cent of staff were of Chinese origin.
Response rates have continued to rise following the re-survey by departments of the ethnicity of their staff. In the year to 1 April 2004 the response rate increased to 73.7 per cent compared to 65.1 per cent in the year to 1 April 2003.
Disability
On 1 April 2004 the proportion of staff with a disability was around 4.2 per cent. This was an increase from 3.6 per cent a year earlier (see note regarding Ministry of Defence disability data).
Table I shows permanent disabled staff by responsibility level. Staff with a disability continued to be more numerous in junior grades than at senior levels. On 1 April 2004 some 4.4 per cent of staff in administrative grades and around 4.7 per cent in the Executive Officer (EO) grade equivalents declared themselves as disabled. At a more senior level, some 3.0 per cent in Grades 6 and 7 and around 2.3 per cent at SCS level declared a disability.
In spring 2004, around 13.6 per cent of the economically active population had a disability according to the Labour Force Survey (www.statistics.gov.uk/ CCI/nscl.asp?ID=5006) [External website]. Comparisons between the Civil Service and the wider population are not straightforward as the definition of disability needs to be taken into account. Differences in the methods of collecting information on disability give rise to considerable differences in the figures. Non-response is also an important factor (scroll down to paragraph below on Diversity: Non-response).
Note: The issues associated with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) data concerning disability status have now been resolved, and so the overall Civil Service figures from 1 April 2004 include MoD disability data. This was the first time MoD disability data has been included in Civil Service Statistics since the figures relating to 1 April 2000 were published. The inclusion of this data for the MoD affects the proportion of staff recorded as having a disability in the Civil Service as a whole. Taking this into account, year-on-year changes should be interpreted with caution.
Age
Table K shows the age distribution of the Civil Service workforce by responsibility level and gender. On 1 April 2004 the greatest concentration of staff continued to be in the middle age bands, with some 56.7 per cent aged 30 to 49. Around 16.7 per cent of staff were under 30 and 26.5 per cent of staff were 50 or over.
Diversity: Non-response
Information on ethnic origin and disability is collected on voluntary, self classification questionnaires and there is considerable non-response. For example, in April 2004, the ethnic origin of around 26.3 per cent of civil servants was not known as was the disability status of some 21.7 per cent of staff. However, efforts are being made to improve the response rate. Non-response particularly affects those moving between departments. Therefore, Civil Service Statistics on ethnic origin and disability should be interpreted with some caution, particularly year-on-year changes.
Click on each of the graphs below to open a larger version
Chart 11 - Female staff as a percentage of staff by responsibility level; 2003 and 2004
Chart 12 - Female staff by responsibility level; 2004
Chart 13 - Part-time staff as a percentage of all staff by responsibility level; 2003 and 2004:
Chart 14 - Ethnic minority staff as a percentage of staff with known ethnic origin by responsibility level; 2003 and 2004:
Chart 15 - Ethnic origin of permanent staff where origin is known; 2004:
