Age - Scottish Government
The data below covers staff working in core Scottish Government directorate generals, some agencies and some non-ministerial departments. More details can be found in the notes of this publication.
Declaration rates for age group in our internal HR system, recruitment systems and People Survey are 100%, 98.1% and 99.1% respectively. Data on the age group of employees within the Scottish Government is complete, as this is gathered during the recruitment process once an offer has been accepted.
Workforce composition
Headcounts
Staff aged between 16 and 29 years old make up 15.8% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared to 26.6% of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64.
Staff aged 60 years old or older make up 7% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared to 10.3% of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the Scottish Government workforce by age group and either pay band or working pattern (i.e. full-time or part-time). Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 by age group is added as a comparison where available.
A table below the chart also shows the breakdown for each Scottish Government agency, Director General area or other body covered by this publication
Figure 1a: Pay band or working pattern by age group - Dec 2023
Part-time staff make up 16% of all permanent staff.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 1a: Pay band, working pattern, DG or agency by age group - Dec 2023
Recruitment
37.6% of applications come from applicants aged between 16 and 29 years old dropping to 33.8% of offers accepted.
1.2% of applications come from applicants aged 60 years old or older rising to 1.4% of offers accepted.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of the age group of applications to work for the Scottish Government at each stage of the recruitment process. Applicants applying to multiple jobs are included for each application they make. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 by age group is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 1b: Recruitment stage reached by age group in 2023
The stages of the recruitment process are explained later in this report
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 1b: Recruitment stage reached by age group in 2023
Turnover
The percentage of joiners in a given age group in 2023 ranges from 3.8% for the 60 and over age group to 33.7% for the 30 to 39 age group.
The percentage of leavers in a given age group in 2023 ranges from 14.2% for the 40 to 49 age group to 28.4% for the 30 to 39 age group.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the Scottish Government workforce, the staff that joined in 2023 and the staff that left in 2023 by age group. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s working-age population by age group is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 1c: Joiners and leavers breakdown by age group in 2023
The chart above does not include any movement to, from or between any other Scottish Government organisations.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 1c: Joiners and leavers breakdown by age group in 2023
Staff experiences
The experiences of staff belonging to different age groups are likely to be heavily influenced by pay grade, which is closely connected to age.
Absences
The average number of working days lost to sickness or absences in 2023 ranges from 7.1 for the 16 to 29 age group to 11.6 for the 60 and over age group.
AWDL is a measure of levels of absence that allows for comparison between different groups. A higher AWDL figure indicates a higher rate of days absent among that group, relative to the number of staff in that group and their working pattern.
Figure 1d: Average working days lost by age group in 2023
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 1d: Average working days lost by age group in 2023
Performance
The proportion of an age group achieving a marking of “Highly effective” or “Exceptional” in 2023 ranges from 41.5% for the 16 to 29 age group to 56.3% for the 40 to 49 age group.
Performance is assessed annually in April. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 1e: Performance marking breakdown by age group - 2022-23
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 1e: Performance marking breakdown by age group - 2022-23
Substantive promotions
The proportion of an age group being promoted in 2023 ranges from 0% for the 60 and over age group to 17.1% for the 16 to 29 age group.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of staff getting a promotion in 2023 by age group. The percentages below are not the success rates of staff that apply for promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 1f: Proportion of staff promoted in 2023 by age group
The “not promoted” group includes the following groups of staff:
- Staff that were unsuccessful in their application for a promotion in 2023.
- Staff who did not apply for a promotion in 2023.
- Staff that achieved a promotion in 2023 but didn’t start their new position until 2024.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 1f: Proportion of staff promoted in 2023 by age group
Temporary promotions
The proportion of an age group on a temporary promotion ranges from 2.9% for the 60 and over age group to 7.8% for the 16 to 29 age group.
The chart below shows the percentage of Scottish Government staff on a temporary promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 1g: Proportion of staff on a temporary promotion on Dec 2023 by age group
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 1g: Proportion of staff on a temporary promotion on Dec 2023 by age group
Workforce culture
The data on workforce culture used in this publication comes from the Civil Service People Survey and covers core Scottish Government (SG Core) only. This data can be found on the SG Core page.