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North East loses public sector jobs at five times the rate of London

The North East has lost public sector jobs at nearly five times the rate of London, according to new government figures published today (June 17).

The figures show that between 2010 and 2015 public sector employment in the North East fell by 13.4%, the biggest drop of any UK region.

Over the same period public sector employment fell by 3% in London and by 2.5% in the South East.

The TUC says the findings highlight how austerity has had an unequal impact on UK regions. The North East has lost 36,000 public sector jobs since 2010.Beth Farhat, TUC North East Regional Secretary, said: “While public services across Britain are under pressure from extreme cuts, it’s clear from these figures that the North East has been hit the hardest by austerity.

“The North East has suffered the highest rate of public sector jobs losses of any part of the UK, despite having the highest unemployment rate. 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 East. Devolving power to the regions will fail if they are starved of the vital public investment they need for modern infrastructure and services.

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