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Public sector cuts will hit region hard, report claims
SOUTH Yorkshire's public sector workforce could be slashed by 10 per cent in the next eight years, economists have warned.
A draft report produced for Yorkshire Forward said up to 60,000 jobs in the Yorkshire and Humber region could be axed by 2017/18 as politicians cut public spending.
South Yorkshire would be particularly badly hit if researchers at the Oxford Economics forecasting consultancy, who produced the report, are correct.
In Sheffield 32.5 per cent of jobs are in the public sector. In Barnsley the figure reaches 35 per cent.
The report said overall employment would "include some net gain in healthcare, very broadly matched by some net loss in education".
But it added: "The bulk of the pressure would be felt in other activities, including not just the civil service and local authority administrations, but also the police, armed forces and many other public service activities.
"Based on experience in previous 'austerity' periods, together with politicians' stated priorities, we judged that the greatest constraint is likely to be felt in capital-intensive areas such as transport and housing."
The economists said there was some good news, as South Yorkshire could benefit from a shift of civil servants out of London and the South East.
A Yorkshire Forward spokeswoman said the report did not reflect the views of Yorkshire Forward, and added: "The analysis of potential scenarios is an integral part of our approach to understanding the regional economy, so we can best respond to change."
Meanwhile new statistics released by the Government show unemployment levels in South Yorkshire rose only slightly compared to last month.
Across the county 44,740 people claimed Job Seekers Allowance in February, just 289 more than in January, compared to a much bigger 2,246 jump the month before.
In Sheffield the numbers rose by 151, in Doncaster by 124, and in Rotherham by 17.
Barnsley showed a slight improvement with three fewer claimants than in January.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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