Public employment in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Public employment was 32,576 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Public employment in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2011–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2024, public employment in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 32,576.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public employment in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 33,589 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 29,345, in 2011.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 5th out of 47 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Public employment in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 29,345 | — |
| 2012 | 29,744 | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 29,994 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 30,702 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 31,188 | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 31,779 | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 32,133 | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 32,408 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 32,777 | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 33,589 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 33,275 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 32,912 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 32,521 | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 32,576 | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 31,119 | 29,345 | 32,777 | 9 |
| 2020s | 32,975 | 32,521 | 33,589 | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 61.4% (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is public employment in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Public employment in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 32,576 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest public employment recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 33,589 in 2020.
- What is the lowest public employment recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 29,345 in 2011.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for public employment?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 5th out of 47 countries with data for 2024.
- Is public employment rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Public employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The total public sector employment covers all employment of general government sector as defined in System of National Accounts 1993 plus employment of publicly owned enterprises and companies, resident and operating at central, state (or regional) and local levels of government. It covers all persons employed directly by those institutions, without regard for the particular type of employment contract. See the working paper: Statistics on Public Sector Employment: Methodology, Structures and Trends. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.