More than 600,000 council workers have been lost in England and Wales since 2012, official figures show.
According to the Office of National Statistics, fourteen years ago there were 1,886,584 people employed by local authorities.
By 2026, the number had plunged to 1,282,853, a drop of more than 603,000 – more than 30 per cent of the total headcount.
The East Midlands was the worst hit region, losing 66,000 jobs equating to more than 40 per cent of all workers. [See below for full list of regions and nations].
The figures emerge as GMB delegates discuss cuts to local authority budgets at TUC’s annual congress in Brighton this week.
Region | Headcount 2012 | Headcount 2026 | Difference | Percentage |
East Midlands | 155,912 | 89,612 | 66,300 | 43% |
South West | 169,095 | 105,679 | 63,416 | 38% |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 203,584 | 126,105 | 77,489 | 38% |
West Midlands | 133,974 | 91,606 | 42,368 | 32% |
North East | 93,596 | 60,261 | 33,335 | 36% |
North West | 263,187 | 185,944 | 77,243 | 29% |
South East | 257,518 | 187,988 | 69,530 | 27% |
London | 214,535 | 154,036 | 60,499 | 28% |
East of England | 197,837 | 161,338 | 36,499 | 18% |
Wales | 149,393 | 127,380 | 22,013 | 15% |
Will Dalton, GMB National Officer, said:
“Local government workers are absolutely essential for a healthy, thriving country.
“They help our children learn, clear away our rubbish, look after our loved one and keep our green spaces clean.
“To lose more than 30 per cent of them has torn the heart out of our communities and shows the damage austerity did to the country.
“If the Prime Minister wants to make good on his promise to give power and prosperity to every post code, well-funded councils with well paid workers must come first.”
