MORE THAN 600,000 COUNCIL WORKERS LOST IN ENGLAND AND WALES

 From the GMB

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 [1], 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	2,091,215	1,410,137	681,078	33%
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.