Amazing Statistic

[Eric Mc]

One statistic you don't hear too much about from the Office of National Statistics (ONS)

The ONS employs 45,000 staff.

Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 7th October 17:18

[Mr Gearchange]

Here's another one for you.

Statistically 9 out of 10 people enjoy gang rape.

[Jaykaybi]

The ONS website said:

With nearly 4,000 employees working across three main sites....

Source - http://www.ons.gov.uk/jobs/index.html

[MonkeyHanger]

4000 current + 41000(England & Scotland) to be taken on for next year's Census. I'm assuming they will be temporary posts...

[Eric Mc]

MonkeyHanger said:

4000 current + 41000(England & Scotland) to be taken on for next year's Census. I'm assuming they will be temporary posts...

Lies, damn lies - and statistics.

[Colin 1985]

Mr Gearchange said:

Here's another one for you.

Statistically 9 out of 10 people enjoy gang rape.

Oh... I see what you did there.

[FunkyGibbon]

Eric Mc said:

MonkeyHanger said:

4000 current + 41000(England & Scotland) to be taken on for next year's Census. I'm assuming they will be temporary posts...

Lies, damn lies - and statistics.

Nearly right:

https://ig11.i-grasp.com/fe/tpl_census01.asp?newms...

35000 temporary jobs to collect and process the census in England and Wales.

Sounds a lot to have 1 census person for every 1500 of the population.

[wiggy001]

FunkyGibbon said:

Eric Mc said:

MonkeyHanger said:

4000 current + 41000(England & Scotland) to be taken on for next year's Census. I'm assuming they will be temporary posts...

Lies, damn lies - and statistics.

Nearly right:

https://ig11.i-grasp.com/fe/tpl_census01.asp?newms...

35000 temporary jobs to collect and process the census in England and Wales.

Sounds a lot to have 1 census person for every 1500 of the population.

Really? Aren't they hand delievered and hand collected?

Having worked for the ONS years ago during the summer, a significant proportion of their staff are part-timer (students, OAPs and mums at home while kids are at school) knocking on people's doors for a pretty low wage.

Come Census time, their numbers temporarily swell with lots of the above people.

A bit of a non-story to be honest.

[Eric Mc]

Yeah - I fell for a bit of hyperbole from Radio 58 Live.

[Hugo a Gogo]

84.3% of all statistics are made up on the spot (in 9 out of 10 cases)

[Mr Gearchange]

Statistics are like a lampost to a drunk - more for leaning on than illumination.

[10JH]

There's a good Radio 4 show/podcast that is on each week, that looks into the truth behind the stats.

It's always interesting to find out how they get to the figures they do, and just how different the numbers can come out as with the tiniest of tweaks to the method used.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/moreorless

[Bill Carr]

Eric Mc said:

Yeah - I fell for a bit of hyperbole from Radio 58 Live.

You're not having a good day with the numbers are you Eric? Best triple-check that client's tax return...

[Eric Mc]

Bill Carr said:

Eric Mc said:

Yeah - I fell for a bit of hyperbole from Radio 58 Live.

You're not having a good day with the numbers are you Eric? Best triple-check that client's tax return...

I always do.

[s3fella]

60% of the time, it works every time...

[Langweilig]

"98% of statistics are made up on the spot."

Vic Reeves.

[andyroo]

"104% of statistics are exaggerated"

[tinman0]

Eric Mc said:

One statistic you don't hear too much about from the Office of National Statistics (ONS)

The ONS employs 45,000 staff.

Even with 4,000 people, it does make you wonder what they count all day long.

Try getting some straight statistics for road safety for instance, and I swear that 3900 of those employees are only there to ensure the stats somehow reflect Govt policy.