The United Kingdom's public sector includes government positions, health services, and social care. Here we provide an overview of notable trends in this area of employment as of first quarter 2025.
Job Openings:
Overall Vacancy Trends: The UK has seen a decline in job vacancies, with the estimated number of vacancies decreasing by 9,000 (1.1%) to 819,000 in the November 2024 to January 2025 period. This marks the 31st consecutive quarterly decrease.
Office for National Statistics
Public Sector Employment: Despite the overall decline, the civil service has continued to expand. In the third quarter of 2024, civil service numbers stood at 515,085 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, reflecting a 3.8% increase over the previous 12 months.
Health Services and Social Care: The National Health Service (NHS) faces significant staffing challenges, particularly among junior doctors. Less than 60% of doctors in core training remain in the NHS after eight years, leading to inefficiencies and demoralization. Proposed solutions include increasing training investments and rethinking workforce management.
Salaries:
Public Sector Pay Trends: Between December 2019 and November 2023, inflation-adjusted average private sector pay grew by 2.3%, whereas public sector pay fell by 0.3%. This disparity has led to a more compressed distribution of public sector earnings, with significant real-term pay reductions at higher percentiles.
Health Sector Pay: NHS staff, particularly those in junior positions, have expressed dissatisfaction with their salaries. A report by the Nuffield Trust indicates a significant increase in dissatisfaction among Gen Z NHS workers aged 21 to 30, with 52% reporting work-related illness due to stress in 2023, compared to 38% in 2013.
Type of Work:
Government Roles: The civil service continues to expand, with a focus on policy development, administration, and public service delivery. The ageing workforce presents challenges in knowledge transfer and succession planning.
Health Services: The NHS is grappling with staffing shortages, particularly among junior doctors, leading to increased workloads and stress. There is a growing emphasis on mental health support and flexible working arrangements to retain staff.
Social Care: The social care sector faces a crisis in foster care recruitment, with a shortage of approximately 6,500 carers. The government is encouraging empty-nesters to consider fostering to address this gap.
In summary, the UK's public sector is experiencing a decline in overall job vacancies, with continued growth in the civil service. Health services are facing significant staffing challenges, particularly among junior doctors, while the social care sector is addressing a crisis in foster care recruitment. Salaries in the public sector have not kept pace with inflation, leading to increased dissatisfaction among staff.
