Adult social care sector in England contributes £43bn to economy

The adult social care sector in England is worth an estimated £43bn to the economy, according to research commissioned by Skills for Care.

Around 1.5m people are now directly employed in adult social care, according to the research, which was carried out by consultants ICF GHK. This represents 6.4% of the total workforce in England, putting it above other sectors including the construction and the food and drink service industries.

Skills for Care’s chief executive Sharon Allen said the research was carried out to show the “scale of our sector’s contribution to the economy in England”.

She added: “This research strongly supports the case for continued investment in this critical sector to ensure this significant workforce is appropriately skilled and capable to provide high quality care and support now and in the future.”

The figure of £43bn is broken down into direct contributions to the economy through work in the sector, as well as indirect contributions due to the services and goods it buys. It also includes wages spent in the English economy by the sector’s workers.

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