Optimal Size of the Public Sector in Poland in Terms of Employment

Abstract

The paper contributes to the literature on the public sector optimal size. The most common approach to measure the optimal size of the public sector is based on government expenditures. The authors propose a broader approach to public sector size measurement and define it by the share in the gross value of fixed assets and the share in employment. The approach is based on the stocks of accumulated capital and labour. Contrary to most of the literature, it gives a clear answer on the optimal employment share in the public sector that leads to maximizing gross domestic product per capita. The authors use Poland as an interesting case study. Public sector size in Poland evolved during 2002–2014, thus at some point it may have achieved the optimal size. The authors analyse the effects of changes in the public sector size on gross domestic product per capita. The authors find that: (a) agricultural sector seriously lowers private sector productivity; (b) the optimal share of the public sector employment in Poland is 20%, and 24% excluding agriculture; (c) the actual share of the public sector in employment in 2014 was one percentage point larger than that which would maximize gross domestic product per capita; (d) there is significant inefficiency in the production process in Poland that can be explained by suboptimal public sector share.