State doles out jobs

ALMOST 7 per cent of Queenslanders would be unemployed had the State Government not gone on a public service employment drive, according to economist Nick Behrens.

But a separate analysis also shows Queenslanders are increasingly pen pushers.

Mr Behrens said one of the Government’s guiding principles of keeping the public service in line with population growth was “clearly in tatters’’.

If it was sustained Queenslanders could potentially face higher taxes to pay for it.

Mr Behrens’ comments follow the release of figures showing the public service had grown by more than 3000 fulltime equivalent employees since April for a total of 215,926, with 15,000 more to be hired in the next four years.