- Employment in the North East stands at 1,202,000 or 69.8% – an increase of 38,000 over the quarter and 23,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 74% nationally.
- North East unemployment stands at 104,000 or 7.9% – a fall of 6,000 over the quarter and 6,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 5.1% nationally.
- The claimant count stands at 47,700 or 3.9% in the North East. The national claimant count rate is 2.3%.
Commenting on the North East labour statistics, Paul Carbert, Policy Advisor at the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), said:
“After the particularly worrying labour statistics released towards the end of last year, it certainly looks as though our region is starting to turn a corner. The North East has seen the largest rise in employment in the country, reporting 1.7% over the last three months.
“These results are better news than we have seen for a while; nevertheless, they also highlight a potential disparity between the regions of the Northern Powerhouse.
“The unemployment rate in the North West fell to 5.0%, below the national average, compared to an unemployment rate of 6.2% in Yorkshire & the Humber and 7.9% in the North East. Leaders may need to bear this in mind before labelling all Northern regions as one.
“One concerning figure indicates a growing gap in employment between young men and women aged 16-24 in the North East. The employment rate for men is up 5.8% over the year to 54.2%, however the equivalent figure for women is down 2.4% over the year to 48%. It is vital that we improve careers advice for all young people so that they are aware of the opportunities available to them in the North East.”