State of the South West 2008

Unemployment (ILO)

3.39 The unemployment rate is the number of ILO defined unemployed people expressed as a percentage of the relevant economically active population.

3.40 In the last quarter of 2007, approximately 98,000 people in the region were registered as unemployed, a fall of around 2,000 on the previous year but 9,000 on the previous quarter. In Q4, the SW unemployment rate was 3.7% (of the aged 16+ economically active population), compared to the England figure of 5.2%.  The South West has the lowest unemployment rates of the nine English regions. The SW unemployment rate has been rising since around 2004.  The national rate, on the other hand, rose through 2006 and was then fairly stable through 2007.   The changes have not been large. 

3.41 The analysis below explores the trends behind the regional data. Caution is necessary when interpreting the unemployment data, particularly at a greater level of disaggregation, as the numbers sampled in the Annual Population Survey (APS) are small and therefore subject to relatively high levels of statistical variation. 

3.42 Nationally, female unemployment rates have been consistently lower than the equivalent rate for males. There is little or no difference between the genders when looking at the SW rates, though the time series are somewhat more volatile.  The lack of a gap in the South West is largely explained by higher levels of part-time working in the region. 

3.43 Sub-regionally the picture is again quite varied. Lowest levels of unemployment in 2006/07 were in North Somerset (1.5%) and the highest level was in Plymouth (7.9%). 

3.44 The South West had lower unemployment rates than the England average for white and non-white workers, regardless of UK national status.  Non-white workers in both England and the South West were nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as their white counterparts. However, non-white UK nationals seem to fair better in the South West than on average, and compared to non-UK nationals. 

3.46 A strong labour market was reflected in generally lower rates of unemployment for all but one health/disability group – “skin disorders, other progressive illnesses, etc.”. More than half of this group was unemployed - this appears to be a “bucket” category, which contains too wide a range of conditions to allow any meaningful comment.  The unemployment rates for all other health problem and disability groups were below the population average.  Many people with health problems or disability will be excluded from this count as they will fall within the economically inactive group.