Government and public administration : Overview

The industry in a nutshell

Government and public administration has three broad areas:

• central government and Civil Service;
• regional and devolved government;
• local government.

The sector is a consistently popular graduate career choice; traditionally providing job security, a variety of careers and the knowledge that jobs make a real impact on the communities and regions they cover.

Despite the global economic downturn and the impact of cost-cutting measures, departmental cutbacks and new government policies, opportunities definitely still exist for graduate employment but competition is fierce.

What kind of work can I do?

There are numerous opportunities in the sector. Within central government and the Civil Service opportunities include:

• corporate services such as HR, finance and IT;
• operational delivery, providing services to the public ranging from social security issues and employment to criminal justice services and education;
• policy delivery focusing on research, analysis, and the development of government policy;
• programme and project management.

Regional and devolved government offer similar opportunities in accordance with their jurisdiction.

Local government has a direct influence on people’s lives. There is a diverse range of jobs including:

• working in housing, surveying or architecture;
• offering advice, support and information;
• working in social work or with vulnerable people;
• managing leisure or recreational facilities;
• looking after the local environment;
• drafting policies and overseeing their implementation.

What’s it like working in this industry?

This sector offers a professional development ethos and the knowledge that jobs have a significant influence on people’s lives. Changes in legislation or funding and the time it takes to get things approved can frustrate and lead to obstacles as well as opportunities.

The public sector as a whole faces widespread cost-saving measures, but the sector still offers reasonable job security. 

Salaries vary depending on the job role and level of experience, but average earnings in 2009 were £22,100 (Office for National Statistics, 2009). Deficit cutting measures mean those in the public sector earning above £21,000 will have a two-year pay freeze from 2011. Those entitled to pay progression will receive it, meaning if you are at the start of (or within) a salary band you will continue to get some annual pay increment.

Hours tend to be well regulated and many employers operate flexi-time systems and offer generous holidays.

The Civil Service, local government and Foreign Office were all ranked highly in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2009-2010.

How big is the industry?

Over six million people are employed in the public sector, with an almost equal divide between local and central government. Over half a million people are employed in the Civil Service (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2010). The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland directly employ over 20,000 people. 

At local government level:

• 85% are on permanent contracts; 
• under half (47%) are full time; 
• teachers and teaching assistants make up almost 800,000 local government jobs;
• home care staff, children’s and adult social workers make up over 90,000 jobs.

(Local Government Association, 2010)

Where can I work?

Opportunities exist throughout the UK, and vary by region. In 2010, public administration accounted for 20% of public sector employment, and saw increases in some parts of the country and decreases in others. This was often significant, with an increase of over 8% in the North East, yet a decrease of over 6% in Wales (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2010).

The largest public sector employer is the NHS, employing 1.6 million and representing 27% of the total public sector employment.

In central government, only 16% of civil servants are now based in London. The four largest departments (Work and Pensions, Revenue and Customs, Defence, Justice) employ almost three-quarters of all permanent civil service staff (Office for National Statistics, 2010).

Local government opportunities exist within the 433 local authorities (353 in England, 22 in Wales, 32 in Scotland and 26 in Northern Ireland).