Page 60 - Minutes of meeting

External Influences - Government Policy

Decisions The adjacent chart plots the number of people
employed in health activities and public
administration (including defence) in Barrow since
2009. Two lines are also included that show the
trend in government health and military
expenditure.

Government health expenditure and health related
employment in Barrow have a more mixed
relationship. Government health expenditure has
risen gradually over the period, whilst the number
of health employees in Barrow reduced sharply
after the 2008 recession, before picking up in 2012
and plateauing thereafter. Of themselves, these
trends do not suggest an interdependent
relationship, but are consistent with one, especially
given the fact that post-recession spending cuts
affected different parts of the country in different
ways.

Government military expenditure and public
administration (including defence) employment in
Barrow follow more similar trends since 2009. Both
decline by a substantial proportion over the period,
showing a similar cycles of growth and contraction.
This suggests public sector and defence
employment in Barrow is significantly influenced by
government expenditure decisions.

Copyright © Hatch 2018. All Rights Reserved. Data Source: ONS and MoD