Who enters the public sector? A cohort analysis of sectoral choice

This study documents that, between 2008 and 2019, the public sector in the United Kingdom became a less common workplace for individuals entering the labour market with low levels of education. At the same time, it became a more common destination for the most educated, whether defined by highest qualification, university rank, or final degree grade. The changes occurred over two distinct phases: a decline in the public sector share for the cohorts entering the labour market between 2009 and 2014, followed by a recovery between 2015 and 2019. Both phases had an educational gradient: the decline was steepest for those entering work without university qualifications and for graduates from the lowest–ranked universities. The recovery was confined to graduates from the best–ranked universities, for those graduating with a first-class degree or a postgraduate qualification. A breakdown by graduate discipline and destination area in the public sector suggests that the trends reflect changes in funding for different parts of the public sector and rising educational requirements.