Employment rate

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: Apr 2026.
Geography: North East CA (combined authority) area, UK.

The North East rate compared

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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: Apr 2026.
Geography: Combined authority (CA) areas; national comparisons.

Employment rates within the North East

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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: Apr 2026.
Geography: North East local authority (LA) areas; national comparisons.

Employment rate by constituency

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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: Apr 2026.
Geography: North East constituencies (as at the 2024 general election).

Employment by sex and age

73.1%

male 16-64 employment rate

(Oct 24-Sep 25)
Below the UK rate
(78.6%)

67.7%

female 16-64 employment rate

Below the
UK rate (72.4%).
Smaller pp gap than for males.

86.8%

male 35-49 employment rate

Highest rate among the
eight age / sex combinations.
Female equivalent: 77.1%

34%

of workers aged 50 and over

34% aged under 35.
Males and females, respectively,
51.5% and 48.5% of workers

North East employment rates, by sex and age

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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.

North East resident employment, by sex and age

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

Data information: Each total is based on surveys over a 12 month period.
Geography: North East CA (combined authority) area.

Employment rate trends by sex, North East

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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.

Employment rate trends by age group, North East

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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.

Employment totals

897,500

North East residents in employment

Up 18,000 in the last decade,
down 12,000 in the latest five years.
Including resident workers aged 65+
who are not included in the headline rate.

869,300

North East workplace employment

Up 16,800 in the last decade,
down 11,400 in latest five years.
Excludes residents working elsewhere
or with no fixed workplace.
Includes in-commuters from other areas.

+63,000

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 47% of Newcastle's net in-commute.
They make up 98% of Northumberland's net
out-commute, 60% of North Tyneside's, but
only 31% of South Tyneside's.

Trends in workplace and residence-based employment

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS) (residence and workplace-based)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

Data information: North East residents in employment; employment in North East workplaces. Totals are based on surveys over a 12 month period. Next update: Apr 2026.
Geography: North East CA (combined authority) area.

Workplace and residence-based employment by area

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (residence and workplace based)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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: Apr 2026.
Geography: North East local authority areas. Sorted by number of residents in employment.

Net commuting estimates by occupation

Last updated

Source

Annual Population Survey (ONS) (residence and workplace-based)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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: Apr 2026.
Geography: North East local authority (LA) areas. Sorted by total net in-commute.

North East job densities

Last updated

Source

Jobs density (via Nomis)

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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.

PAYE employees

830,930

North East PAYE employee count

North East CA area, Dec 2025,
seasonally adjusted (ONS).
Published to supplement
headline, survey-based, totals.

+50,000

five-year change in North East PAYE employee count

North East CA area.
Dec 2020-Dec 2025.
One year change:
-6,500.

790,900

survey-based North East employee estimate

Based on surveys
across Oct 24-Sep 25.
Self-employment:
102,100.

-9,100

five-year change in estimated North East employee numbers

five years to Oct 24-Sep 25.
In contrast to the increase in the
PAYE count. Survey estimates
are more volatile.

North East PAYE employees

Last updated

Source

Earnings and employment from PAYE RTI

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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.

Comparison of PAYE and survey data

Last updated

Source

Earnings and employment from PAYE RTI / Annual Population Survey

Published by

Office for National Statistics

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

Further analysis

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.

Employment by sector

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.

Employment by occupation

Annual update of data showing the occupational structure of the North East labour market.

Find more labour market statistics

Projected employment change

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.

View the projections

Labour market homepage

The evidence hub's labour market landing page. With links to data reports about employment, unemployment and economic inactivity.

Nomis labour market statistics website

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.

Explore the source data

Regional labour market statistics

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.