The government of Manitoba has hired 694 new employees since October, costing taxpayers about $40 million annually, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“Taxpayers are struggling while the Manitoba government continues to hire more and more bureaucrats at taxpayer expense,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “The government can’t claim fiscal responsibility while forking over millions of dollars to pay for new hires.”

From October 2023 to March 2024, the Manitoba government hired 694 new employees, at an annual cost of $39.8 million according to the documents.

Premier Wab Kinew’s government was elected on Oct. 3, 2023.

The new hires include 109 clerks and 53 administrative secretaries.

The average government employee earns 8.5 per cent more than those who work in the private sector. Manitoba government employees also retire 2.1 years earlier and are less likely to lose their job compared to average Manitobans.

Paying employees is the largest line item of the government’s budget. In 2022, the government spent $9.2 billion on employee salaries, making up 42 per cent of total government spending.

By the end of the year, Manitoba’s provincial debt will be $35.4 billion. That’s a $1.9-billion increase compared to last year. This debt will cost taxpayers $2.3 billion in interest payments this year.

“Taxpayers can’t afford this government’s ballooning wage bill,” Haubrich said. “Premier Wab Kinew needs to halt the hiring spree and stop wasting taxpayers’ dollars on more bureaucrat salaries.”