The States’ total pay bill for 2024 was £317.6million – up from just over £293m in 2023.
The States’ Accounts describe that as a “nominal increase” of £24.3m or 8.3%, while the ‘real terms’ increase is 4.3% said the Treasury.
The wage bill includes all civil servants and public sector workers and all temporary and agency staff and politicians.
The treasury says the wage bill reflects pay awards across most categories of 5.8% last year, describing that as “the main driver” in the rising overall cost.
The wage bill also went up because the States employed an additional 96 people last year.
Some deputies had tried to put a stop to any States recruitment during the 2025 Budget debate but they failed.
The Treasury said that “the most significant increase” among those 96 additional employees was in Health and Social Care with a net increase of 67.
This increase is reflected in the employment of nurses and medical consultants, including filling 112 vacant full-time roles – equivalent to 51 full-time employees.
The number of agency workers employed was reduced as a result across HSC.
The total change in Health recruitment represents 70% of the overall increase in FTEs said the States with other small increases seen in Teaching (7), IT (3), and tax services (3).
The largest decrease in employee numbers was seen in Home Affairs (3).
Home Affairs continues to see a number of ‘key worker’ vacancies in its uniformed services.
There were reductions throughout the year leading to falls in the number of FTEs in the police force (10), border agency (11), fire (15), and prison roles (6).
As well as the 96 additional staff joining the public sector payroll last year, the number of staff costing the island more than £110,000 per year has also gone up by 48.
It means 263 staff employed directly by the States now cost the island more than that each year.
Their ‘cost’ is not their wages, as it also includes their social security and pension contributions and any benefits they may be entitled to.
Of the 263 staff employed directly by the States costing more than £110,000 per year, 54% work in front line services in health, education, or home affairs.
In total, 317 people employed directly or indirectly by the States of Guernsey cost the island more than £110,000 each year.
This total number includes individuals such as the Lieutenant Governor and Bailiff, judges and other judiciary roles such as the Law Officers, and senior staff employed by the States owned but externally managed utilities.
While the number of employees costing the States more than £330,000 per year has dropped by one since 2023, the number costing the States more than £265,000 per year has gone up by one.
The number of employees costing the States between £2450,000 and £264,999 per year went up from two in 2023 to six in 2024 with other increases lower down the pay rankings too.