Civil Service grows to 548,000 FTEs, with DDaT roles surging
James
Public sector employment in the UK rose to 6.14 million in December 2024, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics yesterday. The latest figures represent a 0.3% increase from September 2024 and a 0.9% increase over the previous 12 months - growth largely fuelled by rising central government employment and continued expansion in digital and data roles.
The figures reveal that central government employment reached a new high of 4 million, an increase of 0.6% on the previous quarter and 2.7% year-on-year. The NHS remains the largest component of this growth, employing a record 2.05 million people - a rise of 11,000 since September.
The Civil Service, which has been the focus of repeated ministerial pledges to downsize, employed 548,000 staff in December - 2.4% higher than a year earlier. The headcount stands well above the pre-Brexit level of 384,000 full-time equivalents.
While central government grows, local government employment has fallen to a record low of 1.99 million, down 0.2% since the previous quarter and 0.7% on the year.
Civil Service DDaT roles surge
Since 2020, the number of Government Digital and Data (GDD) professionals has increased by 88%, with digital specialists now comprising 5.4% of the Civil Service workforce. The government's stated aim is to increase this proportion to 6%.
This digital expansion has taken place alongside broader Civil Service growth, despite previous headcount restrictions. A hiring cap introduced in October 2023 was lifted by the incoming Labour administration in July 2024, which has committed to developing a strategic workforce plan and reducing reliance on consultants.
The rise in Civil Service employment is particularly notable given former government efforts to rein in Whitehall headcount. In May 2022, ministers announced plans to return the Civil Service to its pre-referendum size by mid-2025, aiming to save £3.5 billion annually. At that time, numbers stood at around 475,000 - already significantly higher than the 384,000 target.
