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Claimant Count

Experimental Office for National Statistics: Since June 2015 the Claimant Count has been designated as experimental statistics and has included out of work Universal Credit claimants as well as Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants.  These data are not an official measure of local unemployment and further information is available in the ‘Notes’ section below.  Rates are calculated using the relevant ONS population estimates for that age group.

Interactive Maps

Sub-county data can be viewed using these web maps:

Note: This dashboard now contains the Parliamentary Constituencies applicable from May 2024.

Key Messages:

Current Working Age (16 to 64 population): 3.3% (December 2024) (NECA: 3.9%; NE: 4%; England: 4.2%)
Current Young People (18 to 24 population): 4.8% (December 2024) (NECA: 5.3%; NE: 5.9%; England: 5.5%)

NECA: North East Combined Authority

The claimant count rate in County Durham, for the 16 to 64 population, was:

    • 3.3% of the working age population were claiming out of work benefits in December 2024, lower than last month (3.4%) and is below the April 2020 figure (6%).
    • There were 10,870 people aged 16 to 64 claiming these benefits in County Durham in December 2024.
    • This is lower than the national rate of 4%, and the North East rate of 4.2%.
    • County Durham currently has the second lowest rate in the region ahead of Northumberland at 3.1%, with Middlesbrough highest at 5.7%.

The claimant count rate in County Durham, for young people (aged 18 to 24), was:

    • 4.8% of the 18 to 24 population were claiming out of work benefits in December 2024, the same as last month’s 4.9%, and lower than that recorded in April 2020 (8.6%).
    • There were 2,435 young people claiming these benefits in County Durham in December 2024.
    • This was below the national rate of 5.5% and lower than the North East rate of  5.9%.
    • County Durham currently has the second lowest rate in the region ahead of Newcastle-upon-Tyne lowest at 3%, with South Tyneside the highest at 9%.

The following dashboard summarises the latest release of this data.

Notes

Claimant Count:

This measures the number of people claiming benefit principally for the reason of being unemployed:

    • from April 2015, the Claimant Count includes all Universal Credit claimants who are required to seek work and be available for work, as well as all JSA claimants
The Claimant Count does not meet the internationally agreed definition of unemployment specified by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).  Estimates of unemployment are sourced from the Labour Force Survey, Annual Population Survey and modelled estimates which make use of the Annual Population Survey.
The Claimant Count includes people who claim unemployment-related benefits but who do not receive payment.  For example, some claimants will have had their benefits stopped for a limited period of time by Jobcentre Plus.  Some people claim JSA in order to receive National Insurance Credits.
Under Universal Credit it is expected that a broader span of claimants will claim benefit principally for the reason of being unemployed and therefore be included within the Claimant Count.  This means that, with the roll-out of Universal Credit, the level of the Claimant Count series is likely to be higher than it would have been otherwise, even if labour market conditions remain unchanged.
Rates are calculated using the latest ONS population estimates for the relevant age groups.
The dataset is available for a range of local areas and this report includes summaries for:
    • County Durham,
    • North East Local Authorities
    • Electoral Wards
    • Area Action partnerships (AAPs)
    • Local Plan Monitoring Areas (LPMAs)
    • Parliamentary Constituencies (May 2024)
Further information is available on the ONS website.