Makrognosis

United Kingdom Public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands ()

QuarterlySeasonally adjustedCode UK.PUBSEC.Q.SA.MEASURE-FTE.SECTOR-CENTRALGOVT

Latest (y/y)0.7%Q2 2026
Previous (y/y)1.0%Q1 2026
Level3,537.0 thousandsQ2 2026

United Kingdom Public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands () was up 0.7% year on year in Q2 2026, compared with 1.0% in Q1 2026.

The level stood at 3,537.0 thousands.

That is the lowest reading since Q2 2011.

Over the past ten years it has ranged from 0.7% (Q2 2026) to 5.5% (Q1 2021), averaging 2.9%.

United Kingdom Public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands (), annual % change, Q1 2000 – Q2 2026−4%−2%0%2%4%6%200020052010201520202025Robomacro
United Kingdom Public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands (), annual % change, Q1 2000 – Q2 2026. Source: UK Office for National Statistics.
United Kingdom Public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands (), level (thousands)1,5002,0002,5003,0003,500200020052010201520202025Robomacro
United Kingdom Public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands (), level (thousands).

Showing the full history (downsampled for display). Open the interactive chart to zoom and switch transforms.

Recent data

PeriodValueY/Y %
Q2 20263,537.0 thousands0.7
Q1 20263,530.0 thousands1.0
Q4 20253,530.0 thousands1.3
Q3 20253,519.0 thousands1.7
Q2 20253,512.0 thousands2.3
Q1 20253,494.0 thousands2.1
Q4 20243,484.0 thousands2.8
Q3 20243,460.0 thousands3.3
Q2 20243,433.0 thousands3.2
Q1 20243,423.0 thousands4.0
Q4 20233,390.0 thousands4.1
Q3 20233,351.0 thousands3.3
Q2 20233,328.0 thousands3.5
Q1 20233,291.0 thousands2.8
Q4 20223,258.0 thousands2.4
Q3 20223,243.0 thousands2.4
Q2 20223,216.0 thousands2.7
Q1 20223,202.0 thousands2.4
Q4 20213,183.0 thousands4.1
Q3 20213,166.0 thousands5.0
Q2 20213,131.0 thousands4.1
Q1 20213,127.0 thousands5.5
Q4 20203,058.0 thousands4.1
Q3 20203,015.0 thousands3.4

Last 24 observations. The full history (110 observations) is available through the API.

Get United Kingdom Public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands () in your code or spreadsheet

One guessable code, agency-direct, updated on release. Free tier available.

curl -H "X-API-Key: $MAKROGNOSIS_KEY" \
  "https://makrognosis.robomacro.com/v1/series/UK.PUBSEC.Q.SA.MEASURE-FTE.SECTOR-CENTRALGOVT"

# Python
import requests
r = requests.get("https://makrognosis.robomacro.com/v1/series/UK.PUBSEC.Q.SA.MEASURE-FTE.SECTOR-CENTRALGOVT",
                 headers={"X-API-Key": KEY})
obs = r.json()["observations"]
Get a free API key → · API docs

About this series

Latest observationQ2 2026
First observationQ1 1999
Observations110
FrequencyQuarterly
Unitsthousands
AdjustmentSeasonally adjusted
10-year high5.5% (Q1 2021)
10-year low0.7% (Q2 2026)
10-year average2.9%
Source agencyUK Office for National Statistics
Makrognosis codeUK.PUBSEC.Q.SA.MEASURE-FTE.SECTOR-CENTRALGOVT

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Other United Kingdom indicators

United Kingdom GDP (Gross Domestic Product)United Kingdom Nominal GDP (current prices)United Kingdom Inflation Rate (CPI)United Kingdom Core Inflation RateUnited Kingdom Unemployment RateUnited Kingdom Credit Rating & Sovereign Risk ScoreUnited Kingdom Industrial ProductionUnited Kingdom Production Industries - Total (Index 1dp): CVM SAUnited Kingdom Retail SalesUnited Kingdom Producer Price Inflation (PPI)United Kingdom BoP Current Account Balance SAUnited Kingdom Trade Balance: Goods & ServicesUnited Kingdom Total Trade (TT): WW: Exports: BOP: CP: SA (goods + services)United Kingdom Total Trade: World: Exports: BOP: CVM SAUnited Kingdom Total Trade (TT): WW: Imports: BOP: CP: SA (goods + services)United Kingdom Total Trade: World: Imports: BOP: CVM SA

FAQ

What is the current public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands () in United Kingdom?
The latest reading is 0.7% year on year for Q2 2026, published by UK Office for National Statistics.
Where does this data come from?
It is collected directly from UK Office for National Statistics and is available through the Makrognosis API under the code UK.PUBSEC.Q.SA.MEASURE-FTE.SECTOR-CENTRALGOVT.

Last updated 2026-10-16. Source: UK Office for National Statistics. Original title: “Public Sector Employment by Sector;Central Gov;UK;FTE;SA;Thousands (UK)”.