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The federal civil service, on the other hand, has indeed been shrinking.

Regardless, the so-called “crowding-out” effect from the rising public sector overall is hampering employment opportunities in Canada, according to economics professor Livio Di Matteo.

“There are important adverse economic and fiscal implications that may result from growing public sector employment,” he said in a study for the Fraser Institute, released Thursday.

“This is a concern because it’s the private sector — through investment and innovation — that largely generates the wealth and taxes needed to provide the public services that we all hold dear.”

The Fraser Institute study, which tracked employment trends from 2003 to 2013, found Canada’s public sector grew 22.6 per cent during that time — more than double the increase in private-sector jobs, which accounted for 10.7 per cent of workers.

“Government sector employment, as a share of total employment, peaked in 1992 and started to decline after governments responded to the fiscal crisis brought about by large deficits and debts both federally and provincially,” said Di Matteo, who teaches at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont.

But since 2003, all tolled, the level of government employment has increased.

“While government spending and employment may serve as a complement to private sector activity by providing infrastructure for private sector activity, there may also be adverse affects,” Di Matteo said.