# Anthony Albanese’s government hires 28 public servants a day as taxpayer-funded workforce closes in on a record 200,000 employees

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/anthony-albaneses-government-hires-28-public-servants-a-day-as-taxpayer-funded-workforce-closes-in-on-a-record-200000-employees/
- Published: 2026-08-31T03:15:47+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-31T03:29:54+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16092009/public-service-australia-labor-albanese.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Australian public service nearing 200,000 staff under Labor
- Workforce grew 23% since 2022 after cap scrapped
- NDIS, Defence and Home Affairs saw the largest increases

## Summary

The Australian federal public service is on track to reach a record 200,000 employees, with the Albanese government adding roughly 28 staff a day since taking office in May 2022. Analysis of 103 federal agencies found 92 had increased headcount, marking a 23 per cent expansion in three and a half years. The growth follows Labor's early decision to scrap a Coalition-era staffing cap, which critics say had pushed departments towards greater use of external consultants and contractors instead.

The public service grew from 159,179 employees in June 2022 to 195,847 by December 2025, an increase of about 36,700 staff. The biggest gains came at the National Disability Insurance Agency, which more than doubled its workforce by adding 5,986 staff, followed by Defence (up 3,823), Home Affairs (up 2,753) and the climate and energy department (up 2,420), while Services Australia, now the largest agency with 34,026 staff, grew by 1,730. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has defended the expansion as "roughly the right size" and argues it has cut reliance on consultants, noting public servants still represent a slightly smaller share of the population (0.7 per cent) than under the Howard government in 2007 (0.75 per cent).

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.