Thank you for your question.
As you know, Public Works and Government Services Canada is regarded as a leader when it comes to managing its workforce. We've been successfully placing employees since the strategic review. Other departments look to some of the practices we've put in place as the standard to follow.
We've set up a very strong governance system that includes planning and employee monitoring. And we've incorporated it into the strategic review, the operational review following the strategic review and the client revenue adjustments that happened in June.
We established a placement unit solely to help place affected employees. Every assistant deputy minister has personally committed to making sure that affected employees in their respective organizations are placed. Each of them is required to prepare a plan for the integration of employees from other organizations. In addition, we have excellent relationships with the unions, and they are very satisfied with the progress made so far.
Allow me to share a few figures. As of January 31, 2013, we had 13,172 employees, so we've seen a 5% drop since the end of March 2007. Our attrition rate is about 8%, or roughly 1,000 employees a year.
Under the strategic review, we had 381 affected employees for the first two years, and of those, we've managed to place 96%—so 364 employees out of 381—either internally or within the public service.
Under the operational review, 140 out of 163 employees were affected because 23 positions were vacant. Of those 140 people, 129 have already been placed, resulting in a placement rate of 92%.
So in all, 803 people were affected and 699 were placed. That puts the placement rate at 87%, which is pretty impressive given that we're in the first two years.
That pretty well covers the efforts our department is making. The numbers speak for themselves.