Trends in North East employment, including the headline working age rate. This information is based on survey responses over a 12 month period and is updated every three months
The latest local employment estimates were released on 21st January 2024. They are based on responses to the Annual Population Survey (APS) over a 12-month period between October 2023 and September 2024. The next release will be in April 2025.
The headline employment rate measures the proportion of working age residents of an area who are in employment. The 16 to 64 age group is used by the ONS as a proxy for working age, partly to simplify historical and international comparisons. People in employment include employees, self-employed people, unpaid family workers and those on government supported training and employment programmes.
Local labour market statistics are updated each quarter, with the latest time period having a nine month overlap with that of the previous release. The time series charts on this page follow ONS guidance and compare non-overlapping periods.
Employment rate trends and comparisons
71.0%
North East employment rate
(Oct 23-Sep 24) % of residents aged 16 to 64 Below the England excluding London rate (75.7%)
+0.1 pp
compared to a year earlier
(pp = percentage points) England excl. London rate down by 0.5 pp
5th
highest rate among nine similar areas
comparing the English combined authority areas in the north and midlands
75.6%
Sunderland employment rate
the highest rate among the seven North East local authority areas
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Percentage of 16-64 population. Each rate is based on surveys over a 12 month period . This chart shows data for non-overlapping 12 month periods. Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area and England excluding London.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Percentage of 16-64 population. Each rate is based on surveys over a 12 month period and data for smaller areas can be volatile over time. Geography: Combined authority (CA) areas; North East local authority (LA) areas; national comparisons.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Percentage of 16-64 population. Each rate is based on surveys over a 12 month period and data for smaller areas can be volatile over time. Geography: North East parliamentary constituency areas. Some rates are based on fairly small sample sizes and are, therefore, not as robust as local authority level data.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Statistics sourced from a survey of individuals so the rates are based on estimates rather than counts and are subject to a degree of uncertainty. Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area and England excluding London.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Each total is based on surveys over a 12 month period. Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Percentage of 16-64 population. Each rate is based on surveys over a 12 month period. This chart shows data for non-overlapping 12 month periods. Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Rates are the percentages of the reident population in each age group. Each rate is based on surveys over a 12 month period and data for some age groups can be volatile over time. Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area.
Up 36,400 in the last decade, down 15,100 in the latest five years. Including resident workers aged 65+ who are not included in the headline rate.
876,100
North East workplace employment
Up 47,300 in the last decade, down 9,100 in latest five years. Excludes residents working elsewhere or with no fixed workplace. Includes in-commuters from other areas.
+60,900
Newcastle's estimated net in-commute
The only North East local authority area with workplace employment higher than the number of residents in work. Workplace employment is at least 9,000 lower in each of the other six.
managerial and professional occupations
make up 54% of Newcastle's net in-commute, 62% of County Durham's net out-commute, 58% of North Tyneside's net out-commute.
Trends in workplace and residence-based employment
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: North East residents in employment; employment in North East workplaces. Totals are based on surveys over a 12 month period. Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Based on residence and reported location of workplace by local authority area. Residence-based data based on published employment totals, workplace based data based on the denominator of employment breakdowns. Geography: North East local authority areas
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update April 2025. Data information: Calculations based on Annual Population Survey employment estimates based on residence and on reported location of workplace by local authority area. Broad occupation groups defined using SOC 2020. Geography: North East local authority (LA) areas.
Sources: Jobs Density [Nomis, last updated 15 February 2024, next update February 2025] Data information: Jobs density is the numbers of jobs per resident aged 16-64. For example, a job density of 1.0 would mean that there is one job for every resident of working age. The total jobs used to calculate density combines employees (from the Business Register and Employment Survey), self-employment jobs (from the Annual Population Survey), government-supported trainees (from DfES and DWP) and HM Forces (from MoD). Based on the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) area, current local authority areas, parliamentary constituencies as at the last election.
The evidence hub includes other data reports that provide information about aspects of employment. It also features analysis of the labour market as a whole, including reports about unemployment, economic inactivity and pay.
Most of the raw data for these reports can be downloaded from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Employment types
Information about self-employment; part-time working; number of hours worked; second jobs; temporary and zero hours work; and public sector employment
Information about the number of people in employment in VAT / PAYE registered businesses by industry, including highlighting North East sector specialisms.
An ONS site providing a flexible way to access up-to-date official statistics for local areas. The site focuses on all aspects of the labour market, but also includes population estimates and some economic data.