This briefing paper gives an overview of the proposals in the further education white paper, Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth, 21 January 2021 and outlines some of the issues that it aims to address.
Documents to download
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Labour market statistics: UK regions and countries (1 MB, PDF)
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Supporting documents
- CBP7950_Profile_tool (201 KB, Excel Spreadsheet) (201 KB, Excel Spreadsheet)
The table below shows the latest key labour market statistics for each of the UK’s regions and countries:
Employment
Between October 2018 and September 2019 the employment rate was highest in the South East (79.3%) and lowest in the North East (71.2%).
Employment rates across the UK fell following the 2008 recession, but since 2011/12, employment rates across all regions and countries have been increasing. Employment rates are currently higher than their pre-recession levels in all UK regions and countries.
Unemployment
The unemployment rate was highest in the North East (5.7%) and lowest in the East of England and Northern Ireland (3.0%).
Unemployment rates across the UK rose following the recession, but since 2011/12, unemployment rates across all regions and countries have been falling. The unemployment rate is now less than pre-recession levels in all UK regions and countries.
Part-time employment
Part-time working was most prevalent in the South West where 30.4% of those in employment were working part-time. Part-time working was least prevalent in London where 21.6% of those in employment were working part-time.
Self-employment
Self-employment was most prevalent in London where 18.5% of those in employment were self-employed. Self-employment was least prevalent in Scotland where 12.4% of workers were self-employed.
Average weekly earnings
The latest statistics from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings show that in April 2019 average weekly earnings were highest for full-time employees living in London (£699) and lowest in the North East (£531).
Average weekly earnings for full-time employees are, after adjusting for changes in prices, below their pre-recession levels in every region and country in the UK except Northern Ireland and Wales.
Documents to download
-
Labour market statistics: UK regions and countries (1 MB, PDF)
-
Supporting documents
- CBP7950_Profile_tool (201 KB, Excel Spreadsheet) (201 KB, Excel Spreadsheet)
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