While local government employment is showing the sharpest fall in five years, what is the picture for Whitehall?

The civil service is reducing, with an ageing workforce and more women by percentage working at lower tiers than at the top. According to latest figures issued from the Office of National Statistics, there was a drop of 6% in the year to last March 2011.

Civil Service employment decreased by 29,051 from 527,484 at 31 March 2010, to 498,433 on 31 March 2011. Compared with 2010, the number of full-time employees decreased by 29,456, while the number of part-time employees slightly increased (405).

Women were well represented at lower grades but less so at the top. Female staff represented 34.7% of the senior civil service, 40.7% at Grades 6 and 7, 45.1% at senior and higher level executive grades, 56.7% at executive grade and 57.1% at admin officer and assistant level.

An ethnic breakdown showed 5% of the senior civil service from an ethnic minority background, rising to 11% at executive level.

By age the largest percentage (at a third) was in the 40-49 age group, followed by 27.1% in the 50-59 group, meaning almost 60% of the civil service are over 40. Just 11.6% are aged 20-29.

Other headline figures showed that: