The claimant count dataset is a monthly estimate from the Office for National Statistics of people claiming benefits because they are seeking work. It gives indications of local levels of unemployment that are more timely than the official unemployment rate and has data for smaller areas. It is described as an experimental dataset as the methodology is evolving.
Rules about who can claim these benefits can change and comparisons of rates over time should take such changes unto account. Some claimants are not unemployed but are low paid workers required to seek a new job to be eligible for the benefit. Not everyone who stops claiming these benefits moves into employment, some people become economically inactive and are no longer eligible.
North East claimants
45,075
North East total (Jul 2026)
up by 595 from the Jun total.
+735
compared to a year earlier
A 1.7% increase from 44,340 (Jul 2025).
-28,145
compared to five years earlier
down by 38% from the July 2021 total.
+35,420
at the start of Covid in 2020
from March to August 2020, a 65% increase.
North East claimant count, latest ten years
Last updated {{:: '2026-08-18T00:00:00.000+01:00' | date: 'dd/MM/yyyy' }}
The evidence hub includes other data reports that provide information about people who are not in work. It also features analysis of the labour market as a whole. Most of the raw data for these reports can be downloaded from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Unemployment rate
North East data report including using survey based estimates of the number of people who are not in work but are actively seekng employment.
An ONS website providing a flexible way to access up-to-date official statistics for local areas. All aspects of the labour market are covered, along with population estimates and some economic data.
A data report focusing on the monthly labour market statistical release for the broader North East region. More up to date than combined authority level data, but less detailed.
