The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) increased its workforce after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic over, parliamentary figures reveal.

Blacklock’s Reporter says despite the winding down of the global health crisis, PHAC employed 810 staff in 2023, up from 787 in 2022 and significantly higher than the 272 employees it had in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.

No explanation was provided for the expansion.

The data, disclosed in response to a question from Conservative MP Robert Kitchen, comes amid broader scrutiny of federal payroll costs. The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) reported that federal personnel spending reached $69.5 billion in 2023, with payroll costs increasing at an average annual rate of 9.2% since 2017.