Panama's state payroll exceeds 270,000 employees and has added more than 17,000 since January

The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic counted 270,301 public employees in August 2026, the highest monthly record of the first eight months of the year. (Illustrative image Infobae)The Panamanian public sector payroll surpassed the 270,000-employee barrier in August 2026, reaching 270,301 workers, according to the report of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. The figure represents 17,263 additional employees compared to January, when the State recorded 253,038 employees, equivalent to a growth of 6.8% during the first eight months of the year. The increase was also reflected in the monthly and year-over-year comparisons. Between July and August, the state payroll increased by 1,032 employees, equivalent to 0.4%, while compared to August 2025, when there were 264,774 workers, the growth was 5,527 people, corresponding to 2.1%. The evolution of 2026 shows growth during the first months, with 257,904 employees in February, 263,627 in March, and 265,164 in April. The payroll reached 269,185 employees in May and 269,997 in June, before falling back to 269,269 in July and setting a new annual high in August. The National Assembly recorded a net increase of 428 workers between July and August 2026, reaching a payroll of 3,712 employees. Taken from the ANOf the total workers counted, 249,839 held permanent positions and 20,462 were temporary. The Central Government concentrated 175,532 employees, while the decentralized sector gathered 94,769. Compared to August 2025, permanent positions increased by 7,365, while temporary positions decreased by 1,838. August's growth was concentrated mainly in the Central Government, which added 1,516 employees compared to July, while the decentralized sector recorded a reduction of 484 workers. These differences show that the expansion of the public payroll was not uniform among the institutions that make up the state administration. The Ministry of Education led the personnel increases in August, with 656 additional employees compared to July, reaching 68,519 workers. Since January, when it counted 58,476 employees, the institution has incorporated a net total of 10,043 people, the largest absolute growth recorded among public entities. The National Assembly occupied second place, going from 3,284 employees in July to 3,712 in August, an increase of 428 workers, equivalent to 13%. The movement occurred during the presidency of Deputy Shirley Castañeda, who took over the leadership of the Legislature in July. Compared to January, when it had 3,144 employees, the accumulated increase reaches 568 people, equivalent to 18.1%. The accumulated gross spending on public sector salaries reached $3,603.7 million between January and August 2026, an increase of $164.8 million, equivalent to 4.8%, compared to the $3,438.9 million recorded during the same period of 2025. (Illustrative image Infobae)In third place appeared the Ministry of Government, with 279 additional employees in August, raising its payroll to 4,464 workers. Since January, the institution has accumulated an increase of 1,233 employees. It was followed by the Ministry of Health, with 222 more workers than in July, reaching 20,708 employees, which represents 1,184 additional compared to the beginning of the year. The Ministry of the Presidency occupied fifth place, with an increase of 119 employees between July and August, counting 2,322 workers. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development added 67 employees during August, reaching 939 employees, that is, 151 more than at the beginning of 2026. The Social Security Fund increased its payroll to reach 35,187 workers. The Judicial Branch incorporated a net total of 37 employees compared to July, raising its payroll to 7,614 people, an increase of 330 workers since January. The last two positions among the ten entities with the largest increases corresponded to the Ministry of Environment, which added 29 employees in August, reaching 1,774 workers, and the National Charity Lottery, which incorporated 27, to reach 1,561. Since January, Environment has accumulated 367 additional employees, while the Lottery records a net growth of only ten people. The Ministry of Health reached 20,708 employees in August 2026, with a net increase of 222 workers compared to July and 1,184 compared to January. (Illustrative image Infobae)The increase in employees was accompanied by growth in gross monthly salary spending, which reached $462.6 million in August. The figure exceeds July's by $1.9 million and represents an increase of $11.9 million compared to August 2025, equivalent to 2.6%. During the first eight months of 2026, the accumulated gross salary amounted to $3,603.7 million, compared to $3,438.9 million in the same period of 2025. The difference was $164.8 million, equivalent to 4.8%, which shows an expansion of the salary cost of the public administration during the period analyzed. Of the monthly disbursement in August, $438 million corresponded to permanent employees and $24.6 million to temporary ones. By institutional distribution, the Central Government represented $292 million, while the decentralized sector accumulated $170.6 million, maintaining the highest concentration of salary spending in the central entities. The report covers 96 public entities and excludes the Panama Canal Authority and most municipalities, among other categories. It also does not include certain extraordinary payments, so the figures correspond to the specific scope of the payroll examined and do not represent the entirety of the State's labor obligations.