Chamber statement on today’s employment figures
Date published:
Marianne O’Sullivan Policy Manager at the North East England Chamber of Commerce said:
‘Today’s employment figures show that there are still gaps between the North East and the rest of the UK.’
The North East’s unemployment rate is 1.3% higher than the UK average, our economic inactivity rate is 3.7% higher and our employment rate is 4.4% lower.
In the last 12 months there has been a 0.8% decrease in the unemployment rate for the North East for all workers above the age of 16. But there has been a 0.2% reduction in the employment rate and a 0.9% increase in economic inactivity for workers aged 16-64 in the region.
In our last quarterly economic survey over 90% of businesses said that inflation and energy prices are of significant concern, with staff costs and staff shortages not far behind. The Government need to be addressing these urgent issues for the North East’s economy.
Reducing economic inactivity is a key opportunity for the region and we will be working with employers to access new talent and close some of these gaps ourselves but we urge the Government to do more. Closing the gap to the national averages will be one of the key measures of the Government’s levelling up agenda.
Notes:
Figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) show that between March and May 2022 the UK’s employment rate for ages 16-64 was 75.9%, compared to the North East at a lower rate of 71.5%.
The UK’s unemployment rate for all workers aged 16+ was 3.8% compared to 5.1% in the North East.
The UK’s economic inactivity rate for ages 16-64 was 21.1% compared to 24.8% in the North East.