Sharp decrease in female portion of public sector workforce

Cuts across the public sector have had a dramatic impact on employment patterns, new research has found - particularly in terms of more temp workers and many less women in the workforce.

 

Analysis of employment across public bodies has highlighted an 11.8% decrease in the use of temporary labour in the last quarter of 2011, compared with the same period in 2010. Over the past two years, there has been a 20% decrease in temporary labour.

 

Meanwhile, the number of women employed in temporary positions in the public sector has decreased by a dramatic 28.3% - largely due to reductions in the number of social care, catering and hospitality, administrative and customer service roles. Consequently, the proportion of male and female workers has changed over the past two years, from almost an even distribution at the beginning of 2010 to 55.5% male and 44.5% female at the end of 2011.

 

The quarterly index, from consultancy Comensura, analysed labour usage across 74 local authorities and other public bodies. It found the reduction in temporary workers had had a disproportionate effect on female workers and those under 34.

  

At the same time, the number of 16-24 year-olds employed on a temporary basis decreased by 13.8% and the 25-34 age range decreased by 19.8% in the final quarter of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.

 

Jamie Horton, managing director of Comensura, said: “While this is concerning for women and young people, the overall results show that the public sector has made a real and concerted effort to reduce the amount spent on temporary labour. ”