BRIEFS: Government

Number of public employees rises

Despite pledges by the government to reduce its payroll, the Panamanian bureaucracy continues to expand.

At the end of June, the total number of government employees stood at 163,281, reflecting an increase of 2,506 workers, or 1.6 percent, as compared to March.

This increase is attributable primarily to an increase in the education sector, which currently employs 59,456 people, 1,524 more than in the first quarter of the year. When he was running for office, President Martín Torrijos pledged to return the public payroll to 1999 levels, a promise he has failed to make good on. In fact, the number of public employees has steadily grown since he took office.

As the number of employees has grown, paying them has also become a costlier venture. The state payroll for June was $123.8 million, $6.4 million more than in March.