2014 UK local government employment “snippets”

For a number of months we have seen a steady drip feed of information on cuts in jobs at local authorities and new jobs in other private sector businesses.  To keep track of things Red Potato will provide regular updates here on this blog. It is a snapshot and not a statistical analysis!

• All data is sourced from public sources,  thanks especially to the LGIU for their daily briefing reports
• We’ll try to keep things up to date, but please feel free to make corrections, amends or updates
• It is worth remembering that behind the figures are real people, whose lives will be changed for good or ill.

11 Jan 2014
Council to cut 162 jobs

North East Lincolnshire Council has said that 162 jobs are to be cut over the next financial year in order to meet government spending cuts. Council taxpayers also face a 1.9% rise in bills – the first increase in four years. Council leader Chris Shaw said an “unjust” settlement from central government has forced them to find £18m savings on top of what was already expected.
Yorkshire Post, Page: 4

15 Feb 2014
Torbay Council has approved budget cuts of £22m.
BBC News

London keeps creating jobs
A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has found that London’s economy is creating nearly eight jobs in the private sector for every one lost in the public sector. The report showed a 380,000-job rise in the capital’s private sector from the start of 2010 to mid-2013, or 9.3% of total employment. This contrasted with a 50,000 fall in public sector employment, or 1.2%, based on the same measure.
Evening Standard, Page: 6

18 Feb
Glasgow takes issue with figures

The FT reflects on figures from the Centre for Cities which said Glasgow had lost 7,800 private sector and 6,800 public sector jobs between 2010 and 2012. Glasgow City Council contested the figures and said it had lost fewer than 500 private sector jobs in the period. The paper compares the Scottish city to Liverpool, which reportedly added 12,800 private sector jobs.
Financial Times, Page: 4

19 Feb
Job losses expected

The BBC reports that up to 2,000 jobs will be axed by Wolverhampton City Council because spending cuts are “worse than previously thought”. The council has increased the figure from 1,400 jobs because it says it needs to make £123m savings over the next five years. Meanwhile, the Yorkshire Post reports that some 650 jobs could be lost at Bradford Council as a result of the Government’s cuts.
Yorkshire Post, Page: 1 The Guardian, Page: 8 BBC News

20 Feb
Further fall in jobless

The number of people unemployed in the UK fell by 125,000 to 2.34m in the three months to December, according to the ONS. The unemployment rate now stands at 7.2%, but the ONS cautioned that the improvement in the labour market could be slowing. Overall employment now stands at more than 30m, a rate of 72.1%, which is an increase of 0.6% on a year ago. Meanwhile, more women are in work than at any time since records began, at just over 14m. Average earnings have also increased, by 1.1% in the year to December. However, George Osborne has said the economy is too reliant on consumer spending and that businesses need to invest more and export more.
The Daily Telegraph, Business, Page: 2 Financial Times, Page: 2 The Times, Page: 1-2 The Independent, Page: 10-11

22 June 2014
State jobs face axe
The Telegraph reports that Government ministers are drawing up plans which will involve widespread privatisations, resulting in at least one million public sector workers being removed from the Government payroll by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, in a separate move, Eric Pickles will step up his assault on “exorbitant” salaries for public officials this week by ordering councils to share senior executives across local authorities and stamp out high pay deals. Mr Pickles said: “Councillors now have the powers to stop exorbitant pay deals – they should use them.”
The Sunday Telegraph, Page: 8 The Sun, Page: 2

2 July 2014
Lincolnshire budget cuts
Budget cuts at Lincolnshire County Council could result in 500 job losses, a union leader claims. The council is proposing to cut a further £90m from its budget after an earlier cut of £125m in 2010. Conservative leader Martin Hill said some job losses were expected but added it was too early to give an exact figure.
BBC News

9 July 2014
Southampton cuts threaten 200 jobs
Budget cuts at Southampton City Council could result in nearly 200 job losses. A report due to go before the authority’s cabinet on 15 July is proposing to make the cuts to cope with “a significant funding shortfall”.
BBC News

5 Sep 2014

Thurrock confirms job losses
At least 200 jobs are to be cut at Thurrock Council as part of its £37m three-year savings plan.
BBC News

9 Sep 2014
Council plans cutbacks
Wirral Council is proposing to remove some school crossing patrols and to reduce community library opening hours as part of a further £45m of cutbacks. The council has already made £100m of cuts and announced up to 500 job cuts. It has to save £18m next year and £27m in 2016-17.
BBC News