Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessJob creation and losses

14,000 more council jobs to go, warns Local Government Association

by Tara Craig 11 May 2009
by Tara Craig 11 May 2009

Councils expect to shed another 14,000 jobs over the next year, on top of nearly 7,000 posts already thought to have been lost in the past six months, a survey has revealed.

A report by the Local Government Association (LGA) published Monday, 11 May, found that three in five councils had cut jobs since last October, following a £2.5bn reduction in income. A similar proportion were planning cuts in the next 12 months.

The survey found that London was the worst affected, with nine out of 10 boroughs already having made cuts. Westminster Borough Council – itself set to cut 200 jobs – admitted that it would need to save £30m a year on staffing costs.

Graham White, Westminster’s HR director, had previously told Personnel Today that top-heavy HR departments and back-office functions will soon become a thing of the past. “For a long time, HR has had to wake up to the realisation that it doesn’t have a long-term future as a large, top-heavy department. Research shows what HR does can be done by others, much faster and better,” he said.

Councils that responded to the LGA survey admitted that front-line jobs in libraries, sports centres and arts centres had also been lost.

Sir Jeremy Beecham, vice-chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “It is particularly regrettable to have to cut frontline staff, but this demonstrates the bleak financial situation that councils are in.”

The LGA survey also found that most councils are freezing pay and vacant posts, while reducing casual or agency staff.

The survey, conducted in March, was based on 165 authorities – a 43% response rate – and looked at the number of jobs cut since October 2008. Among responses to the survey were reports that some councils had made substantial cuts, including:

  • Bristol City Councils 400 posts
  • Nottingham City Councils 400 posts
  • Oldham up to 850 jobs
  • Northumberland up to 800 posts
  • Newcastle 500 jobs
  • Westminster about 200 temporary and permanent positions

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Extrapolate the total figures provided across England and 6,700 staff may have lost their jobs.

Earlier this year, Personnel Today reported that hundreds of HR jobs were at risk across local councils, as authorities sought ways to combat a fall in income.

Tara Craig

previous post
Nurses fear whistle-blowing on neglect will harm their careers
next post
2,500 takers for McDonald’s A-level leads HR chief to dream of PhD

You may also like

Fire and rehire: the relocation question

22 May 2025

Public sector workers gain pay rises of up...

22 May 2025

UK net migration slashed by half in one...

22 May 2025

How neuroscience can unlock employee recognition

22 May 2025

UK universities fret over fall in international students

22 May 2025

HSBC employees warned of office attendance link to...

22 May 2025

The Law Society: Navigating the new world of...

22 May 2025

Workplace stress: Why it’s time to rebrand resilience

22 May 2025

Restaurant tips should be included in holiday pay

21 May 2025

Fewer workers would comply with a return-to-office mandate

21 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+