Public Sector
As of December 2008 the public sector in Northern Ireland accounted for 30.8% of the total workforce. This is significantly higher than the overall UK figure of 19.5%, and also higher than Scotland, the next nearest region at 24%. Overall, the Northern Ireland figure has fallen. In 1992 the public sector accounted for 37% of the workforce. When measured relative to population, the gap between the Northern Ireland and UK figures reduces to three percentage points.
In total, the British government subvention totals £5,000m, or 20% of Northern Ireland's economic output. Many unionists in Northern Ireland argue that a united Ireland could not sustain these levels of public sector employment, particularly as only 36% of the economy of the Republic of Ireland is made up of government expenditure.
Read more about this topic: Economy Of Northern Ireland
Famous quotes containing the word public:
“A state that denies its citizens their basic rights becomes a danger to its neighbors as well: internal arbitrary rule will be reflected in arbitrary external relations. The suppression of public opinion, the abolition of public competition for power and its public exercise opens the way for the state power to arm itself in any way it sees fit.... A state that does not hesitate to lie to its own people will not hesitate to lie to other states.”
—Václav Havel (b. 1936)