Huge rise in public sector jobs

Jobs are being created in the public sector far more quickly than by private companies, new figures reveal today. Some 162,000 new posts went on the public payroll last year, the biggest rise for a decade, mainly in health and education.

At the same time, just 98,000 jobs were created in the private sector, the Office of National Statistics-said. The figures were criticised by the Tories who said they showed spending by Government departments on administration and bureaucracy had got out of control.

Shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin said out of 80,000 new staff in education-only 4,000 were teachers. "It seems that public sector administration and bureaucracy are completely out of hand," he said.

The extra jobs marked a leap from last year's figure of 89,000. The Treasury insisted the rise reflected higher spending on schools and hospitals, providing better services to pupils and patients.