This report presents methodological considerations and main findings from the development of a pilot database on subnational public employment (SUBEMP) for OECD and EU countries. The result of a joint OECD-EC project, it aims to provide granular information on the characteristics (gender, age, education, employment conditions, occupation and policy areas) of subnational public sector employees, in order to assess their capacity and potential to deliver public services and infrastructure. The report also features guidelines to assist the development of high-quality comparable subnational public employment data, outlining the methodological challenges and success factors, such as stakeholder engagement and data dissemination strategies. It closes with a section on avenues for further research and potential for expanding the database in the future.