2.5% of the Cumbrian Population is Unemployed

The office for National Statistics (ONS) reported for Cumbria, a 4% rise in individuals claiming Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit for December, resulting in 5,940 claimants.  

South Lakeland and Carlisle saw the highest hits.  

In Carlisle, a total of 1,215 claims were made, an 8.2% increase from October with South Lakeland witnessing a rise of 13.5% of claimant to 370.

The continued rise is partly down to the shift to Universal Credit, which meant that some people would be recorded in the figures despite being in some form of work.

Jon Boys, labour market economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said "Businesses should consider retention and training of their current workforce to raise productivity and fill skills gaps.”

Unemployment in the North West stands at 4%, with just over 75% of this population in some form of work, according to the ONS.

To compare this nationally, there were an estimated 1.37 million unemployed people recorded between September and November 2018 and an estimated 32.5 million people in work for the same period, representing an estimated 75.8% of the population.

The ONS’ head of labour market David Freeman said: “The share of the workforce looking for work and unable to find it remains at its lowest for over 40 years, helped by a record number of job vacancies.”

Source: December 2018, The office for National Statistics.