This is the latest in a series of annual articles on jobs in the public and private sectors. This article updates the figures to June 2003, the latest date for which there is comprehensive information.
The paper first looks at the latest figures for public sector jobs and their historic context. It then investigates the relative movements in public and private sector jobs. The public sector data in this article are derived from administrative sources and a survey of local authorities. This information is combined with data from the Labour Force Survey and Workforce Jobs to produce information on the private sector.
The fastest growing areas of public sector employment are in those areas that have had the largest additional public spending. The bulk of the job gains were in education (up 88,000 jobs) and health (up 63,000). Police and 'other central government' employment also went up (adding 9,000 and 22,000 jobs respectively). Together health and education now account for just under 60 per cent of public sector jobs compared with around 40 per cent in 1983.
Employment in the public sector is now 10 per cent higher than in 1998, due to the creation of an additional 509,000 jobs. Before this, the number of public sector jobs had fallen since 1983. Current totals are still well down on levels seen in the 1970s and 1980s, though the biggest single cause of the fall since that period was the reclassification of corporations following privatisation.
Job growth in the economy as a whole continued in the 12 months to June 2003. Private sector jobs grew by 98,000 compared to 162,000 in the public sector.
The public sector is the largest employer in public administration, education and health, although private sector health employment also increased last year. Private sector jobs are more prevalent in production and construction and in the 'other services' category that contains the bulk of private sector service jobs.
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