According to recruitment firm Hays, more than half (54%) of private sector staff would take a pay cut to join the public sector if it meant increased job security . Eleven per cent would take as much as a 20% reduction.
Of those already working in the public sector, 69% are satisfied with their job, but almost one in five staff (18%) in the private sector are preparing their transferable skills for a potential move into the public sector.
Mark Staniland, director of Hays Public Services, said: "A few years ago the proportion of people willing to consider a public sector job would have been nothing compared to today.
"Right now the public sector is becoming increasingly attractive to white-collar professionals who can see it as less lacklustre and a more challenging and rewarding environment."
Recession causes migration from private to public sector
Nearly three quarters (72%) of private sector staff say they are more likely to move to the public sector than they were a year ago.
