Employment
Employment higher in county than UK but Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants numbers rise
Employment statistics provide key information to understanding labour market activity. Whilst there are currently relatively high numbers in employment, the number of unemployed appears to be continuing to rise. One reason for this is due to an increase in labour participation as opposed to a slowdown in the labour market.
Official unemployment estimates are published by the Office of National Statistics1 which are based on the International Labour Organisation's definition2 and derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Another set of statistics, used to gauge the extent of unemployment in areas smaller than Local Authorities, is the 'Claimant Count'. This measures how many unemployed people claim unemployment related benefits i.e. Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), is drawn from records collected at Jobcentre Plus offices and is the measurement used here.
In August 2006, the Claimant Count proportion for Hertfordshire was 1.7% (10,717) comprising of 7,439 (69%) males and 3,278 (31%) females. This is less than the unemployment rate for the working age population calculated by the APS which was 3.5% (18,800) for the year ending December 2005.
Total JSA claimants in Hertfordshire 2005-2006 (by gender)
Source: Nomis - Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) Claimant Count 9 October 2006 ONS Crown Copyright Reserved
download and view this data in excel - disclaimer
The overall Claimant Count proportion fluctuated between January 2005 and August 2006 reflecting the usual seasonal employment factors. Although there was a steady increase in numbers, in August 2006 the overall county figure (1.7%) remained below both the country (2.6%) and the East of England region(1.9%). By district, the Claimant Count proportions vary; in the last two years there was a small rise in Three Rivers, from 1.1% to 1.2%, compared with the growth in Stevenage from 1.8% to 2.5%.
Proportion of working age population claiming JSA (by district)
Source: Nomis - Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) Claimant Count 10 October 2006 - ONS Crown Copyright Reserved
download and view this data in excel - abbreviations - disclaimer
Indicator UN1 - Long term JSA claimants (more than one year) by age and gender
The number of long-term JSA claimants increased by over 50% in Hertfordshire during August 2004-6 leaving the last total count at 1,345. During this period the proportion of 45-54 and 55+ years olds fell slightly whilst there was an increase in the younger age groups. Nearly 44% of all Long Term JSA claimants were aged 25-44, an increase of 4% on 2004. In the 24 and under age group, numbers increased from 4.7% to 7.9% during the period.
Indicator UN1 - Chart 1 - Long term JSA claimants (1 Year +) in Hertfordshire 2004-2006 (by age)
Source: Nomis - Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) Claimant Count October 2006 - ONS Crown Copyright
download and view this data in excel - disclaimer
Indicator UN1 - Chart 2 - Long term JSA claimants (1 Year +) in Hertfordshire 2004-2006 (by gender)
Source: Nomis - Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) Claimant Count October 2006 - ONS Crown Copyright
download and view this data in excel - disclaimer
Indicator UN2 - Long term JSA claimants (more than one year) by district
During the last year there were large increases of Long Term JSA claimants in the county, particularly in Dacorum and Watford, North Hertfordshire was the exception, experiencing a small but notable fall.
Source: Nomis - Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) Claimant Count October 2006 - ONS Crown Copyright
download and view this data in excel - abbreviations - disclaimer
Indicator UN3 - The proportion of people of working age in employment
Since 2004 the local authority level APS residentbase labour market survey has been used to estimate the number of employed or self-employed by place of residence. In the period April 2004 - March 2005 and January 2005 - December 2005 there were noticeable increases in Broxbourne, Welwyn Hatfield and Watford. Hertsmere, Dacorum, East and North Hertfordshire all experienced a decline.
Proportion of people of working age in employment - Hertfordshire by district 2004-2006
Source: Nomis - Annual population survey October 2006 - ONS Crown Copyright
download and view this data in excel - abbreviations - disclaimer
Indicator UN4 - Proportion of JSA Claimants who have been out of work for more than a year
In July 2006 12.4% (1,330) of JSA claimants had been in receipt of this benefit for more than 12 months. During the last year, this figure has risen by over 2%.
|
Total Long Term JSA Claimants | %of claimants who have been out of work for over a year | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Jan06 | 1,065 | 10.9 |
| Apr06 | 1,165 | 11.1 |
| Jul06 | 1,330 | 12.4 |
Source: NOMIS - Job Seekers Allowance Claimant Count October 2006. ONS Crown Copyright.
disclaimer
Indicator UN5 - The percentage increase or decrease in local employment
Annual Population Data shows that the employed working age population rose in the county by 4,300 (0.8% growth) during April 2004 - March 2005 and January 2005 - December 2005, reaching 517,400. Working-age employment stood at 80.4 % for the 12 months ending December 2005 which is substantially higher than the national rate of 74.5 %.
Hertfordshire County Council in Top 100 Employers
Hertfordshire County Council was named in 'Britain's Top Employers 2007' by the Guardian Newspaper Group and the Corporate Research Foundation. Featured alongside Vodafone, GSK and other prestigious companies, it was the only council in the list. Organisations were judged on pay, benefits, company culture, development, promotion and environmental policies. The council was commended for its high performance culture, pay, benefits, diversity, social responsibility, innovation and corporate governance.
1 The UK government department that provides statistical and
registration services. See www.statistics.gov.uk
2 'A count of jobless people who want to work, are available to work,
and are actively seeking employment' from the ONS guide 'Measuring
the jobless'