The Secretary of State for Employment was a position in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. In 1995 it was merged with

Secretary of State for Education The secretary of state for education, also referred to as the education secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the work of the Department for Education. The incumbent is a member of the C ...

to make the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. In 2001 the employment functions were hived off and transferred to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Minister of Labour (1916–1940)

Minister of Labour and National Service (1940–1959)

Minister of Labour (1959–1968)

Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1968–1970)

Secretary of State for Employment (1970–1995)

Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1995–2001)

{, class="wikitable" ! colspan=2, Name ! colspan=2, Term of office ! Political Party ! colspan=2, Prime Minister , - ! style="background-color: ", , width=200,

Gillian Shephard Gillian Patricia Shephard, Baroness Shephard of Northwold, (''née'' Watts; born 22 January 1940), is a British Conservative politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Norfolk from 1987 to 2005. Shephard served as a Cabin ...

, width=120, 5 July 1995 , width=120, 2 May 1997 ,

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

, style="background-color: ", , width=150, John Major , - ! style="background-color: ", ,

David Blunkett David Blunkett, Baron Blunkett, (born 6 June 1947) is a British Labour Party politician who has been a Member of the House of Lords since 2015, and previously served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough ...

, 2 May 1997 , 8 June 2001 , Labour , style="background-color: {{party color, Labour Party (UK)", ,

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

The office was merged with the

Department of Social Security The Department of Social Security (DSS) was a governmental agency in the United Kingdom from 1988 to 2001. The old abbreviation is still often used informally. Advertisements for rented accommodation used to describe prospective tenants who wou ...

to form the

Department for Work & Pensions , type = Department , seal = , logo = Department for Work and Pensions logo.svg , logo_width = 166px , formed = , preceding1 = , jurisdiction = Government of the United Kingdom , headquarters = Caxton House7th Floor6–12 Tothill Stree ...

in 2001. Employment Defunct ministerial offices in the United Kingdom