The Legislative Council's Panel on Public Service discussed the civil service establishment today (Nov. 18). As of March this year, there are approximately 192,000 civil service positions, with about 173,000 actual serving civil servants. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, around 9,300 civil servants are expected to leave the workforce, accounting for about 5.4% of the total. Among them, around 5,700, or 60%, are retiring.
According to data provided by the Civil Service Bureau, retirees in the 2023-24 fiscal year will account for about 3.3% of the total civil service. The government projects that the natural attrition rate will gradually decrease and stabilize over the next 20 years as civil servants reach retirement age. Some members expressed concern that retirements among senior civil servants may become a "disaster area."
Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung pointed out that for some senior civil servants approaching retirement, their service may be extended based on the need to pass on experience to other civil servants or to complete significant projects, and that there will be regular reviews of succession situations in various departments to prepare in advance.
In addition, the resignation rate for civil servants in the 2023-24 fiscal year is 1.8%, which the authorities believe has fallen from previous high levels. Some members raised concerns that many civil servants are still unable to work a five-day week, worrying that this will hinder efforts to attract young talent to the government.
Yeung responded that currently, about 70% of civil servants can implement a five-day workweek, and mentioned that some civil servants work five days but have extended daily hours, preferring to work five and a half or six days a week instead. She emphasized that in the future, with the assistance of the Digital Policy Office, they will review and streamline civil service work procedures, hoping to facilitate more civil servants in achieving a five-day work week.
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