MORE than 80,000 jobs will be axed from public services in the North West over the next five years.
That’s the shock finding of a TUC analysis of official figures produced by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) following the Autumn statement in November by Chancellor George Osborne, Conservative MP for Knutsford.
The massive job losses in our region come on top of the 30,000 jobs which have already been lost from public services here since the Coalition came to power in May 2010, according to surveys by the North West TUC and the general workers union, the GMB.
The latest analysis is based on official OBR figures, which have forecast that 710,000 jobs will be axed in public services across the country up to 2017, as a result of the Chancellor’s policies.
The TUC is providing a regional breakdown of that total for the first time, which shows that of the 710,000 jobs lost nationally, exactly 81,075 jobs will go from the North West – the worst hit region in Britain outside of London.
Greater Manchester will be worst hit, losing 30,000 jobs from public services. Merseyside will lose just over 20,000 jobs, Lancashire almost 20,000 jobs and Cheshire will lose almost 10,000 jobs from the public sector.
North West TUC Regional Secretary Alan Manning said: “This is another hammer blow to the regional economy and to tens of thousands of public servants and their families in the North West.
“The cuts to public services which we have already suffered are having a devastating effect on the most vulnerable people in our communities and have choked off any hopes of growth in the North West economy, because the private sector can’t fill the gap.
“Now we are set for five more years of pain – without any gain. As a North West MP, George Osborne should stop and take stock – his policies are hurting, but they are simply not working.
“It’s time we had policies which put people first, by getting them back to work earning a living, paying taxes and helping stimulate growth.”
| Impact of 710,000 job losses nationwide | |
| North West | 81,075 |
| North East | 32,668 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 63,906 |
| West Midlands | 59,137 |
| East Midlands | 45,545 |
| East of England | 52,937 |
| London | 94,190 |
| South East | 80,836 |
| South West | 59,018 |
| Wales | 39,703 |
| Scotland | 70,225 |
| Northern Ireland | 25,992 |
| Not assigned to a region | 4,769 |
| Total | 710,000 |
Sources
OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, November 2011
ONS Labour Market Statistics, December 2011
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_245812.pdf
ONS Public Sector Employment, Q3 2011
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_247739.pdf
NW Public sector:
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/public_sector_in_the_nw.aspx
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'Proud to serve the public’ is a North West TUC campaign to protect and promote public services in our Region. We believe public services are a vital part of the North West economy. They create jobs, stimulate growth and... 
This gives the lie to Ed Miliband’s defence to Len McCluskey’s Guardian piece this morning. 80,000 job losses during a public sector pay freeze demonstrates that being “responsible” (sic) on pay does nothing to save jobs.
The alternative is investment, job creation and training to secure well paid jobs and create demand. The TUC in highlighting these issues has assumed the role of HM Official Opposition.