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.
This report includes quarterly updates of the claimant count data. These cover the dates when the regional labour market releases include updates of the headline combined and local authority area labour market rates.
North East claimants
45,015
North East total (Sep 2025)
up by 480 from
the August total.
-5,280
compared to a year earlier
Total down by 10.5%
from 50,295 (Sep 2024).
-9,530
compared to immediate pre-COVID total
down by 17.5% from the
March 2020 total.
+65%
initial COVID related increase in 2020
up 35,420
from March to August 2020,
when the total peaked.
North East claimant count, latest ten years
Last updated {{:: '2025-10-14T00:00:00.000+01:00' | date: 'dd/MM/yyyy' }}
About the data: Experimental count of people claiming unemployment related benefits. The claimants include unemployed people seeking work and recipients of benefits in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible. Geography: North East CA (Combined Authority) area.
Geographic comparisons
3.6%
North East claimant count rate
(% of 16-64 population, Sep 2025),
Since same month, pre-COVID:
(Sep 19-Sep 25): -0.6 pp,
UK excl. London: +0.9 pp to 3.7%.
6th
lowest among 15 comparable areas
comparing the 15 English
combined authority (CA) areas.
4.7%
South Tyneside rate
the highest among the seven
North East local authority areas.
6.0%
highest North East constituency rate
Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West,
2nd highest: South Shields (5.0%).
Highest ward rate: 13.3% (Elswick).
About the data: Experimental count of the number of people claiming unemployment related benefis. The rate is expressed as a percentage of the 16 to 64 resident population.
Claimants include unemployed people seeking work and people in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible for benefits. Geography: North East CA (Combined Authority) area; UK excluding London.
About the data: Experimental count of the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits. The rate is expressed as a percentage of the 16 to 64 resident population.
Claimants include unemployed people seeking work and people in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible for benefits. Geography: English Combined Authority (CA) areas, national comparisons.
About the data: Experimental count of the number of people claiming unemployment related benefis. The rate is expressed as a percentage of the 16 to 64 resident population.
Claimants include unemployed people seeking work and people in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible for benefits. Geography: North East LA (Local Authority) areas, national comparisons.
About the data: Experimental count of the number of people claiming unemployment related benefis.
The rate is expressed as a percentage of the 16 to 64 resident population. Claimants include unemployed people seeking work and people in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible for benefits. Geography: Constiruency areas (as at 2024) in the North East CA (Combined Authority) area.
About the data: Experimental count of the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits. The rate is expressed as a percentage of the 16 to 64 resident population.
Claimants include unemployed people seeking work and people in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible for benefits. Geography: North East local authority wards, the 24 out of 240 with the highest rates (plus ties).
About the data: Experimental count of people claiming unemployment related benefits. Claimants include unemployed people seeking work and people in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible for benefits. Geography: North East CA (Combined Authority) area.
About the data: Experimental count of the number of people claiming unemployment related benefis. Claimants include unemployed people seeking work and people in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible for benefits. Geography: North East CA (Combined Authority) area.
About the data: Experimental count of the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits. The rate is expressed as a percentage of the 16 to 64 resident population.
Claimants include unemployed people seeking work and people in employment who are required to look for other work to be eligible for benefits. Geography: North East CA (Combined Authority) area.
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.
