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Employment rate

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

Labour market Employment
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Introduction

The latest local employment estimates were released in October 2026. They are based on responses to the Annual Population Survey (APS) over a 12-month period between July 2025 and June 2026. The next release will be in January 2027.

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.

As well as residence-based employment statistics, a limited amount of workplace-based information is published each quarter, based on the same survey responses. Not all workers have a fixed workplace and the exceptions are not included in the workplace-based statistics.

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.

This report also includes statistics based on Pay As You Earn Real Time Information (PAYE RTI) employee estimates. These do not include self-employed workers or some employees outside of the PAYE system but have become part of the ONS suite of labour market indicators.

Trends and comparisons

72.1%

North East employment rate

(Jul 25-Jun 26)
% of residents aged 16 to 64
Below the UK rate (75.5%)

+1.9 pp

compared to a year earlier

percentage point change
on Jul 24-Jun 25 rate
UK rate up 0.1 pp.
Five year change:
NE +1.4 pp, UK +1.2 pp.

4th

lowest rate among 15 English combined authority areas

1.7 pp below CA area median.
Closest rates:
Hull and East Yorkshire (71.8%)
Greater Manchester (72.7%)

76.9%

Gateshead employment rate

the highest rate among the seven North East local authority areas.
Lowest: South Tyneside (65.4%).

Employment by sex and age

74.2%

male 16-64 employment rate

(Jul 25-Jun 26)
Below the UK rate (78.5%).
1.6 pp higher than 2024-25,
2.4 pp higher than 2020-21.

70.0%

female 16-64 employment rate

(Jul 25-Jun 26 )
Below the UK rate (72.5%).
2.2 pp higher than 2024-25,
0.5 pp higher than 2020-21.

86.5%

male 25-34 employment rate

Highest rate among the
ten age / sex combinations.
Female equivalent: 78.5%.
UK rate higher for all
except female 16 to 24.

34%

of workers aged 50 and over

35% aged under 35.
Males and females, respectively,
51% and 49% of workers.

Workplace and resident employment

925,300

North East residents in employment

(Jul 25-Jun 26)
29,100 higher than in 2024-25,
33,300 higher than in 2020-21.
Including resident workers aged 65+
who are not included in the headline rate.

898,800

North East workplace employment

33,900 higher than in 2024-25,
36,500 higher than in 2020-21.
Excludes residents working elsewhere
or with no fixed workplace.
Includes in-commuters from other areas.

+71,000

Newcastle's estimated net in-commute

The only North East local authority area
with workplace employment higher
than resident employment.
Highest net out-commute: County Durham.

managerial and professional occupations

In Jul 25-Jun 26, these made up:
55% of Newcastle's net in-commute.
58% of N. Tyneside's net out-commute
44% of County Durham's net out-commute,
40% of South Tyneside's.

PAYE employees

831,500

North East PAYE employee count

North East CA area, Sep 2026,
seasonally adjusted (ONS).
Published to supplement
headline, survey-based, totals.

+21,500

five-year change in North East PAYE employee count

North East CA area.
Sep 2021-Sep 2026.
One year change:
-3,200

817,200

survey-based North East employee estimate

Based on surveys
across Jul 25-Jun 26.
Falling response rates prompted ONS to add PAYE data to their labour market statistics.

+28,300

five-year change in estimated North East employee numbers

five years to Jul 25-Jun 26
Smaller than the increase in the
PAYE count. 

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.

View the statistics
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.

View the statistics
Employment by occupation

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

View the 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.

Find more labour market statistics
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.

View the statistics