The regional labour market statistics from the ONS show that the unemployment rate was highest in the North East (10.2%) and lowest in the East of England (5.8%). The employment rate was highest in the South East (76.2%) and lowest in the North East (67.3%). Inactivity was at its highest in the North West (25.2%) and lowest in the South East (18.9%). The North East had the highest rate of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance at 6.3% followed by Yorkshire and The Humber (5.2%) and the West Midlands (4.9%). The lowest rate was in the South East at 2.3%. then the South West at 2.5% and the East of England at 3.1%.
At local authority level South Northamptonshire had the highest employment rate at 88.9% then Watford (86.1%) and Brentwood (85.8%). The lowest rates were Middlesbrough at 57% followed by Birmingham (57.5%) and Nottingham (57.8%). The highest unemployment rate were in Birmingham (16.5%), Blaenau Gwent (15.7%) and Middlesbrough (15.4%). The lowest unemployment rates were in South Lakeland (2.7%) and Eden (2.8%).
