Workless Households for Regions Across the UK, 2011

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Liverpool has the highest percentage of workless households for the fourth year in a row

Between January and December 2011, Liverpool had the highest percentage of workless households (those which include at least one person aged 16 to 64 and no-one in work) with 31.6 per cent being workless. This was down slightly on the previous year when 31.9 per cent of households were workless.

Over the same period, South Teesside had the second highest percentage of workless households, up from a ranking of fourth a year earlier. Around 29.1 per cent of households in this area, which contains the authorities of Redcar and Cleveland plus Middlesbrough, were workless.

The highest percentage of workless households in Wales was in the Central Valleys, and this area was the third highest across the UK. Comprised of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taff, 28.7 per cent of households were workless.

Within Scotland, Glasgow City had the highest percentage of workless households and was the fourth highest across the UK. Around 28.7 per cent of households were workless in 2011 and this was the eighth consecutive year, since records began, that Glasgow, along with Liverpool were in the top five workless areas.

In recent years, Glasgow has fallen down the rankings since being at the top in 2006 and 2007. Although it fell down the rankings between 2007 and 2010, the percentage of workless households actually increased in Glasgow. This was because over the same period other areas in the UK had larger increases and overtook Glasgow. However, Glasgow has seen a fall in workless households between 2010 and 2011.

Top five areas workless households across the UK

Source: Annual Population Survey (APS) - Office for National Statistics

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The common link among the areas within the top five is that they were all heavily industrialised in the last century. Liverpool had a large manufacturing base and one of the UK’s largest docks, which have both been in decline since the 1970s. South Teesside has also seen a decline in the heavy industries that dominated the area in the last century.

The Central Valleys were once one of the UK’s largest coal producers, most of which no longer exists. Glasgow was once a major force in shipbuilding as well as other engineering but competition overseas has seen that decline since the 1960s. Finally Sunderland was also affected by the loss of shipbuilding and coal mining as seen is some of the other areas.

Top and bottom three workless areas in the UK, 2011

Source: Annual Population Survey (APS) - Office for National Statistics

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In 2011, the lowest percentage of workless households in the UK were concentrated in the South of England along with one area in the North. Oxfordshire had the lowest percentage, at 8.0 per cent followed by Buckinghamshire, at 9.8 per cent. Both these areas have commonly had low rates of workless households since records began in 2004. East Cumbria was the area with the third lowest workless households in 2011 at 10.9 per cent.

Sickness or disability the main reason for being workless across the country

Sickness, both long-term and temporary, was the main reason given for not working by the people living in workless households across all the regions of England and countries of the UK, with the exception of the East of England. However this reason was far more common in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales compared with the regions in England.

In Northern Ireland of the people living in workless households, 39.1 per cent said they were not working because of sickness or disability. In Scotland, 34.1 per cent gave this reason with 32.6 per cent in Wales. Across the regions of England the lowest percentage not working because of sickness or disability was in the East of England where 22.7 per cent of people in workless households gave this reason.

Focusing on people in workless households who are studying, London had the highest percentage across the UK, partly explained by the many universities in the region. The South West and South East of England had the highest percentage of people aged 16 to 64 in workless households giving retirement as their reason for not working. This is partly explained in that both regions have a slightly higher than average age demographic.

Index of tables

Table A - Households by the combined economic activity status of household members by area (1.14 Mb Excel sheet)

Table B - People by the combined economic activity status of household members by area (1.13 Mb Excel sheet)

Table C - Children by the combined economic activity status of household members by area (1.14 Mb Excel sheet)

Table D - Reasons for worklessness by region (106.5 Kb Excel sheet)

North East

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in North East, January to December 2011

North West

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in North West, January to December 2011

Yorkshire and The Humber

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in Yorkshire and the Humber, January to December 2011

East Midlands

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in East Midlands, January to December 2011

West Midlands

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in West Midlands, January to December 2011

East of England

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in East of England, January to December 2011

London

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in London, January to December 2011

South East

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in South East, January to December 2011

South West

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in South West, January to December 2011

Wales

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in Wales, January to December 2011

Scotland

 

Workless households by NUTS3 area in Scotland, January to December 2011

Background notes

1. Households including at least one person aged 16 to 64.

2. A workless household is a household that contains at least one person aged 16 to 64, where no-one aged 16 or over is in employment.

3. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk

   These National Statistics are produced to high professional standards and released according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.