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 October 2025. They are based on responses to the Annual Population Survey (APS) over a 12-month period between July 2024 and June 2025. The next release will be in January 2026.
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
70.2%
North East employment rate
(Jul 24-Jun 25)
% of residents aged 16 to 64
Below the UK excluding London rate (75.4%)
-0.9 pp
compared to a year earlier
(pp = percentage points)
UK excl. London rate
up by 0.1 pp.
14th
highest rate among 15 similar areas
comparing the 15
combined authority areas.
72.6%
North Tyneside employment rate
the highest rate among the seven North East local authority areas
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. Next update: Jan 2026. Geography: North East CA (combined authority) area, UK excluding London.
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. Next update: Jan 2026. Geography: Combined authority (CA) areas; national comparisons.
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. Next update: Jan 2026. Geography: North East local authority (LA) areas; national comparisons.
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. Next update: Jan 2026. Geography: North East constituencies (as at the 2024 general election).
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 CA (combined authority) area and UK excluding London.
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 CA (combined authority) area.
Data information: Resident workers as a % of 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 CA (combined authority) area.
Up 18,100 in the last decade,
down 16,500 in the latest five years.
Including resident workers aged 65+
who are not included in the headline rate.
864,900
North East workplace employment
Up 14,200 in the last decade,
down 16,400 in latest five years.
Excludes residents working elsewhere
or with no fixed workplace.
Includes in-commuters from other areas.
+62,700
Newcastle's estimated net in-commute
The only North East local authority area
with workplace employment higher
than the number of residents in work.
County Durham's net out-commute
is the highest of the other six.
managerial and professional occupations
make up 50% of Newcastle's net in-commute,
88% of Northumberland's net out-commute,
65% of North Tyneside's net out-commute,
53% of County Durham's net out-commute.
Trends in workplace and residence-based employment
Data information: North East residents in employment; employment in North East workplaces. Totals are based on surveys over a 12 month period. Next update: Jan 2026. Geography: North East CA (combined authority) area.
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. Next update: Jan 2026. Geography: North East local authority areas. Sorted by number of residents in employment.
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. Next update: Jan 2026. 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.
Data information: The number of resident employees receiving paid renumeration included in Pay As You Earn Real Time Information (PAYE RTI). Monthly average of employee counts in each day of the month. Seasonally adjusted and non seasonally adjusted data included. Geography: North East CA (Combined Authority) area.
Data information: The number of resident employees receiving paid renumeration included in Pay As You Earn Real Time Information (PAYE RTI). Average of 12 monthly seasonally adjusted employee counts. The number of respondents to the Annual Population Survey (APS) who stated that they were employees, based on responses over a 12 month period. Geography: North East CA (Combined Authority) area
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.
