Nearly half of public sector workers would not recommend a job in the sector to those whose career is just starting out, a survey by recruitment consultancy Badenoch & Clark has shown.

The figure rises to nearly two-thirds for those working in central government, with 54% of local government workers not recommending public sector roles.

Overall, a fifth of respondents do not feel motivated in their job at all, with only 4.3% believing morale in their department has improved over the past 12 months.

Nicola Linkleter, managing director at Badenoch & Clark, says: “This could make recruiting the future pipeline of talent a growing challenge for public sector employers.

“Graduates and those considering a career change who seek insight on working in the public sector will likely turn to existing employees as their first port of reference. And with motivation and morale so low, it is unsurprising that existing employees are currently unlikely to encourage a move to join them.”