Public sector employment increased by 62,000 last year, with local government employment alone increasing by 25,000. The figures issued by National Statistics cover the 12 months to December 2005, and reveal a 0.9% increase in local government employment over the period, and a 5.8% increase over the last five years. The largest increases in employment during the period were in health and social work and education, up by 49,000 and 26,000 respectively. Local government employers' director, ~Mike Walker~ commented that this was in part down to new teaching assistant posts, which were funded by central Government. Mr Walker said: ‘There have also been a number of hidden changes for staff levels, including civil partnerships and the introduction of 24-hour licensing.'
