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Tom Forth
@tomforth.co.uk

The crossover happened in the 2024 data, but I didn't want to share it in case there were revisions. But now that I've checked in the 2025 data, I can be sure it's real.

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Tom Forth
@tomforth.co.uk

As a percentage of total employment, since 1948 when the data starts, Central government employment is today the highest on record. Local government employment is today the lowest on record. Some context for Andy Burnham's promise to try and reverse this trend.

Martin Stanley
@ukcivilservant.bsky.social

Very interesting! But some care needed. Much of the central government increase will, I think, be the NHS - and education: schools (local gov't) becoming academies. The civil service itself is only 1.6% of total employment - and most of that is tax offices, DWP etc.

Tom Forth
@tomforth.co.uk

Yes. I am very careful to tackle civil service growth and centralisation on London, especially in its senior ranks, later in the thread.

Julian Gravatt
@juliangravatt.bsky.social

The transfer of schools to become academies is a big part in this shift. ONS reports local government headcount falling from 2.9 million to 1.9 million between 2010 and 2025. Over same period academy headcount up from 50k to 750k. Classified by ONS as central govt

Tom Forth
@tomforth.co.uk

Yes. Moving schools from local control to central control counts as shifting employment from local government to central government.