UNITED KINGDOM
The Office for National Statistics has announced its latest data on the UK Public Service, revealing that a modest increase in numbers recorded last year has turned into more substantial growth.
The number of PS employees swelled by more than 10,500, which has also led to a shift in the age profile of officials.
As of 31 March, the Public Service had 331,392 full-time staff — an increase of 3.2 per cent on the previous year — while there was also an increase of 447 part-time employees, or 0.5 per cent.
Taken as a whole, the hiring drive represents growth in numbers of 2.5 per cent — up from the 0.3 per cent recorded last year; however, the figure is still 18 per cent lower than in 2008.
The overall increase in numbers — driven in part by the demands of the UK’s pending exit from the European Union (Brexit) and the new homes and Grenfell Tower fire challenges faced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government — has led to a reduction in the age profile for the Public Service.
There has been a 13.4 per cent increase in those aged in their twenties and an increase of 2.9 per cent in those aged 30–39 years.
There were also increases in the proportion of PS employees in the 50–59, 60–64, and 65-plus age bands, but a fall of 2.8 per cent (3,140 employees) in the number of employees in the age band 40–49.
Head of Data and Transparency at the Institute for Government, Gavin Freeguard described the changes as a “march of the millennials” into Whitehall.
“After years of recruitment freezes, the Civil Service is getting younger again — 13 per cent of all Civil Servants are under 30, nearly back to 2010 levels,” Mr Freeguard said.
London, 5 August 2018
