"This article focuses on the characteristics of the public sector that can be illustrated using Labour Force Survey (LFS) figures. It begins with an overview of how public sector employment status is established in the LFS. It then moves on to give consideration to the differences between the LFS estimates and those taken from public sector organisations. It presents work that has been undertaken, at the analysis stage, to make estimates of the number of workers in the public sector from the LFS more in line with National Accounts definitions. The characteristics of public sector workers are then presented using figures obtained from this adjusted LFS measure and compared with those in the private sector. It concludes by looking at further work ONS is planning to undertake to further improve the public and private sector classification on the Labour Force Survey. This article is part of the work ONS has been undertaking over the past year within an inter-departmental programme of work to improve the quality of public sector employment estimates."

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