The provided pie charts illustrate the distribution of staff by age group within the UK public sector for two distinct years, 2015 and 2020. Overall, a notable shift towards a younger workforce is evident over the five-year period, with a significant increase in the proportion of employees aged 21-30 and a corresponding decrease in older age categories.
In 2015, the largest age cohort was those aged 21-30 and over 50, both accounting for 23% of the public sector workforce. The 31-40 age group represented 21%, closely followed by the 41-50 age group at 19%. The youngest demographic, under 21, constituted 14% of the total.
By 2020, the demographic landscape had considerably changed. The 21-30 age group emerged as the dominant segment, rising substantially to 33%. Conversely, the proportion of staff aged 31-40 experienced the most dramatic decline, plummeting from 21% to a mere 11%. Similarly, the percentage of employees over 50 decreased from 23% to 16%, indicating a reduction in the older workforce. Interestingly, the 41-50 age bracket saw a considerable increase, growing from 19% to 28%, making it the second-largest group in 2020. The proportion of staff under 21 remained relatively stable, showing a slight decrease from 14% to 12%.
In summary, the data reveals a clear trend of rejuvenation within the UK public sector workforce between 2015 and 2020, primarily driven by the expansion of the 21-30 age group and a contraction in the middle-aged and older cohorts.