Employment
Traditional claimant count rates were replaced in January 2003 with claimant count proportions. The traditional claimant count rates expressed the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) as a percentage of a corresponding mid-year estimate of the number of jobs in the area plus the number of claimants. The new proportions express the number of claimants as a percentage of the estimated number of working age residents in the area and are therefore just resident based. Working age is 16-59 for women and 16-64 for men.
In December 2005 the claimant count proportion for Hertfordshire was 1.4% and the total number claiming was 9,066, comprising 6,515 males (72%) and 2,551 females (28%). This is much lower than unemployment within the working age population calculated from the Annual Population Survey for the year ending March 2005 (19,400 or 3.6%) which includes people not entitled to benefits. The claimant count, being based on administrative data, allows for more detailed analysis of the data and is therefore used below.
Total JSA claimants in Hertfordshire 2003-2005 (by gender)
Source: Nomis - download and view this data in excel
The overall claimant count proportion in Hertfordshire was the same in December 2005 as it was in January 2003. In between these dates the figure has fluctuated between 1.3% and 1.5%, reflecting seasonal factors (university holidays, festive season, etc.).
Whilst the claimant count proportion varies from district to district in the county and is showing some marginal increase, the overall Hertfordshire figure is consistently below that for Great Britain (GB) and the East of England. The GB proportion in December 2005 was 2.4% (865,512) and the East of England one was 1.8% (60,266). The fluctuations at the national level are largely reflected at the regional and Hertfordshire level.
Indicator UN1 - Long term unemployment (more than one year) by age/gender
There has been a slight increase in long term JSA claimants over the last nine months in Hertfordshire. The claimant count now stands at 1,010. The 45 - 54 age range is now the largest amongst long term JSA claimants and continues the pattern over the last couple of years.
Long term JSA claimant count (1 year +) in Hertfordshire 2003 - 2005 (by age)
Source: Nomis - download and view this data in excel
Long term JSA claimant count (1 year +) in Hertfordshire 2003 - 2005 (by gender)
Source: Nomis - download and view this data in excel
Indicator UN2 - Long Term Unemployment (by district)
Recent years have shown a marginal increase across the majority of district areas in the County.
Proportion of people of working age in employment 2002-2005 (by district)
Source: Nomis - download and view this data in excel
Indicator UN3 - Proportion of people of working age in employment
The proportions of people of working age in employment has increased in the majority of district areas in Hertfordshire, with only Broxbourne, North Herts and St Albans showing a slight decrease in 2004/05 compared to 2003/04.
In Hertfordshire this needs careful interpretation. In the case of some districts the percentage is affected by the relative numbers of young people in higher education.
Indicator UN4 - The proportion of JSA claimants who have been out of work for more than one year.
| Total Long Term JSA Claimants | %of claimants who have been out of work for more than a year | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan04 | 935 | 10.2 |
| Apr04 | 885 | 9.7 |
| Jul04 | 860 | 10.1 |
| Oct04 | 835 | 10.2 |
| Jan05 | 895 | 10.1 |
| Apr05 | 870 | 9.7 |
| Jul05 | 945 | 10.2 |
| Oct05 | 1,010 | 11.0 |
Indicator UN5 - The percentage increase or decrease in local employment
From 2004 we have the benefit of the Annual Population Survey (APS) which estimates the numbers of people employed or self-employed by workplace (the 'workplace population'). At the Hertfordshire level this is probably a more robust indicator than the employee jobs estimate provided by the Annual Business Inquiry. For comparative purposes we can use the old Labour Force Survey and Census data on commuting to estimate of workforce population in 2001. This method of historical comparison shows a small increase in local employment from 494,493 in 2001 to 497,800 in 2004 (0.7% growth). In future, year to year comparisons will be available from the APS.