Half a million more public sectors jobs since 1998

The number of public sectors workers has increased by over half a million since 1998, the Office of National Statistics has revealed.

Figures published today show that while public sector employment fell by an estimated 815,000 between 1991 and 1998, it rose by 583,000 between 1998 and the first quarter of 2004.

Over 80 per cent of the increase since 1998 is accounted for by jobs in health and education.