Under the Albanese Labor government, the federal public service has surged 23% since 2022, the biggest recruitment drive this century, with agencies like the National Disability Insurance Agency more than doubling to 11,052 staff by 2025.
Defence added over 3,800 people, Home Affairs nearly 2,800, and other departments like Climate Change and Health saw big increases too, pushing total headcount toward 200,000 by mid-2026.
Critics like Senator Dave Sharma highlight an extra $8.5 billion annual wage bill and question service improvements amid falling productivity in areas like health and education, while the government defends the hires for frontline needs and replacing costly contractors.