State of the sector report
The 2026 State of the sector report provides a comprehensive overview of Queensland’s largest workforce—the Queensland public sector.
This report is an important resource for understanding trends in the size and composition of the workforce, the performance of the sector, and the experiences of employees.
This evidence-based report relies on the following key data sources:
- Minimum Obligatory Human Resource Information (MOHRI) workforce data — quarterly data from payroll systems across the Queensland public sector that provides foundational insights into workforce trends, including demographic attributes, occupation types, classification or pay levels, and leave patterns.
- Working for Queensland (WfQ) survey data — The annual, anonymous employee survey captures the experiences of Queensland’s public servants, focusing on employee engagement, leadership, innovation, ethics, integrity, and workplace wellbeing, including work stressors such as workload and burnout. In 2025, 68,142 employees (approximately 20 percent of public sector employees) across 59 agencies completed the survey.
- Conduct and Performance data — This data monitors the management of unsatisfactory conduct or performance, detailing the severity of issues by category, resolution timeframes, and achieved outcomes. The reporting of the data helps ensure accountability and continuous improvement in the sector.
From 2026, the Queensland Government will publish a mid-year workforce update every 6 months alongside the State of the sector report. Released in December, the update will use MOHRI data to show changes in workforce size and characteristics between the March and September quarters.
The additional reporting will provide added transparency in the analysis of the size and characteristics of the Queensland public sector workforce.
Visit the Queensland Government’s Open Data Portal at www.data.qld.gov.au for even more public sector workforce data.
- Download the State of the sector report 2026 21.4 MB)
- Download the State of the sector report 2026 - Quick facts 4.1 MB)
A workforce that serves the community
Understand our workforce size, composition, location, employment types and how it serves our community
A culture of integrity
The Queensland public sector operates within a legislative and ethical framework that promotes accountability, transparency, impartiality and the public good.
A culture of diversity, respect and inclusion
Building a culture of diversity, respect and inclusion in our workplaces is key to a fair and thriving public sector.
A culture of performance
Delivering high-quality, responsive and sustainable services to the community requires a strong performance culture.
Resources and related information
Access resources, data and links used in the State of the sector report.