North West has lost public sector jobs at more than three times the rate of London

The North West has lost public sector jobs at more than three times the rate of London, according to new government figures published today (Wednesday).

The figures show that between 2010 and 2015 public sector employment in the North West fell by 9.4 per cent. Over the same period public sector employment fell by 3 per cent in London and by 2.5 per cent in the South East.

The TUC says the findings highlight how austerity has had an unequal impact on UK regions. The North West has lost 61,000 public sector jobs since 2010.

TUC North West Regional Secretary Lynn Collins said:

“While public services across Britain are under pressure from extreme cuts, it’s clear from these figures that the North West has been hit very hard by austerity.

“The North West has suffered a higher rate of public sector jobs losses than most of the country. By contrast, more prosperous parts of the UK have seen public sector employment fall at a much slower rate.

“The Chancellor’s promise of creating a northern powerhouse will feel like empty rhetoric to many in the North West. Devolving power to the regions will fail if they are starved of the vital public investment they need for modern infrastructure and services.

“With even more severe spending cuts around the corner, the strain on services and communities is only going to get worse.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Regional public sector employment excluding effects of major reclassifications 2010-15

Source: Office for National Statistics

-The full ONS release Public Sector Employment, Q1 2015 can be found at: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pse/public-sector-employment/q1-2015/stb-pse-201…

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Jay McKenna T: 07788 414 578 E: jmckenna@tuc.org.uk