A massive global workforce

In 2023, the global workforce consisted of 3.627 billion workers. Approximately one-fifth of these people, or 675 million, were employed in the public sector, note senior partner Arne Gast and coauthors. Governments must serve their constituents and take care of their employees, including their professional development and job security. This dual mission can be challenging, given constraints such as public scrutiny, competing priorities and stakeholders, politics, budget, and citizen dissatisfaction with government.

Globally, governments face the dual challenge of serving both their employees and their citizens effectively.

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A donut made of 3,627 dots, where each dot denotes 1 million workers, represents the total global workforce in OECD economies in 2023. In the lower part of the donut, 675 dots indicate the 675 million people that comprise the global share of public sector workers. Source: OECD; World Bank.

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To read the article, see “Improving organizational health in the public sector: Achieving tangible impact,” November 12, 2024.