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Employment types

Calendar year statistics about self-employment; part-time workers; hours worked; second jobs; temporary employment; zero hours contracts, and public sector employment

Labour market Employment
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Introduction

The Annual Population Survey (APS) is the source of the headline employment, unemployment and economic inactivity rates for combined authority areas and local authority areas. It also provides information about the way that workers are involved in the labour market. Its output includes statistics about topics such as self-employment, part-time working, temporary employment, and zero hours contracts.

Each release of APS data is based on surveys of individuals over a 12-month period. Although there are updates every three months, it is usual to compare non-overlapping periods. The information in this report only covers calendar year (Jan-Dec) 12-month periods, with the statistics being released each April at present, about 14 weeks after the calendar year that they cover.

Statistics about temporary working, zero hours contracts and second jobs are only available for the wider North East region (ITL1 area). This is also the case for information about the reasons for part-time working. Comparisons of rates or other proportions between different areas and over time are expressed in percentage points (pp). 

Self-employment

89,400

North East self-employed workers

2024, North East MCA,
lowest total since 2012.
39.5% were female,
highest ever percentage.
 

10.0%

of North East workers (2024)

Lowest percentage since 2010,
2.9 pp decrease since 2019,
second lowest of the 15
combined authority areas.

11.9%

of male workers self-employed

2024, North East MCA area,
lowest in 20 year time series.
Highest in Northumberland (14.7%)
and Sunderland (14.1%).

8.0%

of female workers self-employed

2024, North East MCA area,
lower than 2023, higher than 2022.
Highest in Northumberland (12.0%)
and Newcastle (10.2%).

Part-time working

221,600

North East part-time workers

2024, North East MCA area,
lowest total since 2010.
28.8% were male,
highest ever percentage.
 

24.7%

of North East workers (2024)

similar rate to England's.
1.8 pp lower than a decade earlier,
female rate 7.1 pp lower,
male rate 2.4 pp higher.

26.1%

of Northumberland workers were part-time

highest 2024 North East rate,
North East rates vary by age:
45% of female workers aged 16-24,
5% of male workers aged 25-49.

35,100

part-time workers could not find a full-time job

wider North East ITL1 region, 2024,
(main reason for part-time working).
12% of the region's part-time workers,
including 24% of male part-time workers.

Hours worked and second jobs

134,500

worked 45 hours or more a week

2024, North East MCA area,
lowest in 20 year time series,
37% were female,
highest ever percentage.

15.3%

of North East workers (2024)

worked 45+ hours, (Eng. 19.5%).
55.1% work 35 to 44 hours,
2.6% work fewer than 10 hours,
England: 51.7% and 3.1%.
 

19.1%

of North East male workers

work 45+ hours, (female: 11.4%).
3.6% and 38.4% of female workers
work under 10 and 10 to 34 hours,
(males: 1.7% and 15.8%).

37,200

workers had second jobs in 2024

wider North East ITL1 region,
second highest total since 2011, 
3.1% of all workers,
(females 3.4%, males 2.8%).

Temporary and zero-hours employment

53,100

workers in temporary employment

wider North East ITL1 region, 2024.
lowest in 20 year time series,
58% of temporary workers were male,
the highest percentage since 2010.

4.4%

were in temporary employment

North East ITL1 region, 2024,
higher than the England rate (4.0%),
fourth highest rate of
the nine English ITL1 regions.

14,900

temporary workers could not find a permanent job

North East ITL1 region, 2024,
(main reason for temporary working).
lowest total in 20 year time series,
28% of the region's temporary workers.

40,900

workers on zero-hours contracts

North East ITL1 region, 2024.
3.3% of the region's workers,
a similar percentage to England,
the lowest total since 2021.

Public sector employment

258,200

North East public sector workers

2024, North East MCA area,
lower than 2023, but above all totals
in 20 year time series before 2022.
Male total at its highest since 2007.
 

28.8%

of North East workers (2024)

6.1 pp above England rate,
second highest rate among
15 combined authority areas.
Ten year change: +2.6 pp

31.5%

of County Durham workers

in the public sector, highest
North East LA area percentage.
All seven LAs above England rate
by at least 2.9 pp.
 

36.7%

of North East female workers

within the public sector,
21.0% of North East male workers.
Female rate highest in Sunderland,
male rate highest in County Durham.

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.

Much of the raw data for these reports can be downloaded from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Employment rate

Quarterly update of employment totals and rates for the North East CA (combined authority) area and LA (local authority) areas

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
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