North East England unemployment rate: aged 16 to 64
North East England unemployment rate: aged 16 to 64 stood at 4.7% in Mar 2026, according to Nomis — official labour market statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Labour market structure table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Dec 2004 to Mar 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Labour market structure table
| Indicator | 03-2026 | 12-2025 | 09-2025 | 06-2025 | 03-2025 | 12-2024 | 09-2024 | 06-2024 | 03-2024 | 12-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate, aged 16 to 64 | |||||||||||
| North East | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.9 | |
| North West | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
Understanding north East England unemployment rate: aged 16 to 64
Household survey interviews provide the basis for this regional metric, measuring the percentage of the economically active population aged sixteen to sixty-four in North East England who are unemployed. To be counted in the numerator, individuals must be without paid work, have actively looked for a job within the preceding four weeks, and be available to commence work within two weeks. The denominator restricts the calculation to those who are economically active within the specified territory, excluding inactive groups such as retirees and students.
When evaluating this regional series, users must account for wider sampling error margins compared to national figures, which can cause quarter-on-quarter volatility. Comparing identical periods across successive years provides a more stable assessment of underlying labour market conditions. Historical estimates are subject to periodic revisions when demographic weights are updated. Analysts should avoid comparing this active-search metric directly with administrative benefit claimant counts.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include individuals who want a job but have stopped looking?
- No, individuals who have not actively sought work in the past four weeks are classified as economically inactive, not unemployed.
- Why does this regional unemployment rate have larger confidence intervals than the UK total?
- Smaller sample sizes at the regional level inherently increase the margin of statistical error.
- How does this differ from the employment rate for the same area?
- The unemployment rate measures the share of active jobseekers without work, whereas the employment rate measures the share of all working-age residents in a job.