WORCESTERSHIRE is a "problem" area when it comes to filling health and education jobs, according to a recent report.

The report, by the Institute for Public Policy Research, said there were problems filling vacancies in health, education and public administration in both Worcestershire and Herefordshire, as well as Birmingham, Shropshire, Durham and the South East.

The report looked at the growth in public sector jobs and concluded growth had mainly been in "frontline" services, not administration staff.

since Labour came to power.

According to the report, the percentage of public sector jobs compared to total employment in the UK has increased by 0.6 per cent, to 18.1 per cent, since 1997.

And public sector employment was lower than in 1992, when it accounted for 21.3 per cent of the total.

Richard Brooks, senior research fellow in economics at the IPPR, said, since 1998, the Labour Government had "significantly increased" public sector employment in education and health care, but not in other areas.

"The growth in public sector employment has not been driven by increased employment of central or local government administrative staff," he said.

"As a result, a higher proportion of public sector jobs are now providing frontline services in health and education."

The institute suggested that local pay supplements would help retain key public sector workers.