THE NUMBER of employees in public administration totaled more than 364,200 in the first half of 2006. This represents a decrease of 13,000 compared to the first half of 2005, according to a report prepared by the Finance Ministry.
The decrease was mainly caused by layoffs at the local level with cuts taking place primarily in elementary and secondary schools, Hospodárske noviny wrote.
Of the total number of public employees, 167,800 worked in the central state bodies and 187,200 in local administration. Some 9,300 people were employed by the national Sociálna poisťovňa (SP) social insurer and the state-owned health insurance companies.
According to the ministry, the average monthly wage in central state bodies was Sk22,097 while local administration workers earned Sk14,951 on average. SP and health insurance companies’ employees earned Sk20,253 on average. In total the average monthly wage in public administration was Sk18,378.
