Labour Market In The Regions Of The UK - January 2023

17th January 2023

For the three months ending November 2022, the highest employment rate estimate in the UK was in the South West (79.3%) and the lowest was in Northern Ireland (71.3%); Scotland (76.1%) saw a record high employment rate.

The largest increase in the employment rate compared with the same period last year was in Northern Ireland, up by 3.3 percentage points, with Wales seeing the largest decrease of 1.8 percentage points.

For the three months ending November 2022, the highest unemployment rate estimate in the UK was in the North East (4.7%) and the lowest was in the South West (2.1%).

The East of England had the largest increase in the unemployment rate compared with the same period last year, increasing by 0.5 percentage points, with both the North East and London seeing the largest decrease of 1.0 percentage points.

The highest economic inactivity rate estimate in the UK was in Northern Ireland (26.6%) and the lowest was in the South West (18.9%) for the three months ending November 2022; Wales saw the largest increase in the inactivity rate compared with the same period last year, up 1.8 percentage points, with Northern Ireland seeing the largest decrease of 2.8 percentage points.

For the 12 months ending September 2022, average weekly hours worked varied between London, with 33.6 hours worked, and the North East, with 30.7 hours worked; all regions saw an increase in the average weekly hours worked compared with the same period last year, with the East Midlands seeing the largest increase of 1.9 hours.

All regions saw increases in total weekly hours compared with the same period last year; London had the most hours worked, at 162 million hours per week, and also saw the largest increase in total hours worked compared with the same period last year, up 9.0 million hours.

The number of payrolled employees continued to rise in all regions; comparing December 2022 with the same period of the previous year, increases in payrolled employees ranged from 3.6 percentage points in London to 1.8 percentage points in the North West.

Read the full report HERE