Our first task is to define the term “public sector employment.” Public sector
employees can be categorized according to their occupation, their employment status, and
who pays their salary. These criteria result in a complex array of cross-cutting public
employment categories and many gray definitional areas. Schiavo-Campo et al. (1997a,
1997b) point out some problems while defining public sector employment. For example,
in some countries teachers and health workers are included in the public sector
employment, while in other countries they are not. In some countries, paramilitary
personnel are included in the public sector employment because they have a role in
maintaining public order, while in other countries they are considered as military personnel