Claimant Count
3.47 The claimant count is an alternative, narrower UK measure of unemployment than the ILO rate. The claimant count only records the numbers of people claiming unemployment-related benefits on one particular day each month. Currently, the benefits covered are Jobseeker’s Allowance and National Insurance Credits. Claimant count rates reported below are calculated using resident working age population estimates.
3.48 An estimated 41,100 people in the region were claiming unemployment related benefit in January 2008 (1.3% of the resident working age population). This is the lowest of the English Regions, where the average is 2.2%. Female claimant counts, (0.8%) accounted for just over a quarter of claimants. The male claimant count rate was considerably greater – 1.8%. Claimant rates fell steadily throughout 2007 from 1.7% in January and February 2007 to 1.3% one year later.
3.49 Sub-regionally the pattern was for comparatively higher claimant rates in the urban areas such as Torbay, Plymouth and Bristol and lower rates in more rural areas such as Dorset and Wiltshire. There may, however, be more “hidden” unemployment in rural areas.
