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 in April 2025. They are based on responses to the Annual Population Survey (APS) over a 12-month period between January and December 2024. The next release will be in July 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.
Trends and comparisons
70.6%
North East employment rate
(Jan 24-Dec 24)
% of residents aged 16 to 64
Below the England excluding London rate (75.8%)
-2.4 pp
compared to a year earlier
(pp = percentage points)
England excl. London rate
down by 0.5 pp.
8th
highest rate among nine similar areas
comparing the English combined authority areas
in the north and midlands.
75.6%
Gateshead employment rate
the highest rate among the seven North East local authority areas
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update Jul 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 Jul 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. Sorted by employment rate within area type.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update Jul 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 (as at 2024 general election). Some rates are based on fairly small sample sizes and are, therefore, not as robust as local authority level data. Sorted by employment rate.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update Jul 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 Jul 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 Jul 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 Jul 2025. Data information: The resident workers 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 22,800 in the last decade,
down 9,100 in the latest five years.
Including resident workers aged 65+
who are not included in the headline rate.
868,700
North East workplace employment
Up 25,000 in the last decade,
down 300 in latest five years.
Excludes residents working elsewhere
or with no fixed workplace.
Includes in-commuters from other areas.
+63,100
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 more than
9,000 lower in each of the other six.
managerial and professional occupations
make up 62% of Newcastle's net in-commute,
58% of County Durham's net out-commute,
51% of South Tyneside's net out-commute.
Trends in workplace and residence-based employment
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update Jul 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 Jul 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. Sorted by number of residents in employment.
Source: Annual Population Survey (ONS via Nomis), next update Jul 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. Sorted by total net in-commute.
Sources: Jobs Density [Nomis, last updated Mar 2025, next update Q1 of 2026] 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. Because some residents in this age group are not active in the labour market, a density of above 0.75 usually results in an area requiring net in-commuting to fill jobs. Jobs totals: The densities are based on estimates from different sources of employees, self-employment jobs, government-supported trainees and HM Forces jobs. Geography: North East Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) area, current local authority areas, parliamentary constituencies as at the 2019 election. Sorted within area types by density.
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
Annual update of information about self-employment; part-time working; second jobs; temporary and zero hours work; and public sector employment.
Annual update of information about the number of people in employment in VAT / PAYE registered businesses broken down by industry sector. Also included are updates of all employment by broad sector.
Projections of the types of jobs in the North East labour market, and the skills that workers will need, up to 2035. These DfE projections are updated every three or four years.
Source data from an ONS site that provides a flexible way to download up-to-date official statistics for local areas. Nomis focuses on all aspects of the labour market, but also includes population estimates and some economic data.
A summary of the latest labour market statistics for the broader North East region. Updated monthly and more up to date than combined authority level data, but less detailed.
