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Labour Market Updates

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This page provides the latest available Labour Market Intelligence against headline indicators for the South West of England, including qualification levels, GCSE performance, benefit claimants, employment levels, job related training and more...



Employment Volumes, South West (‘000)
This chart shows the number of people who were in employment in the South West of England, from June 2007 to April 2011. In the run up to the recession there were just over 2,550,0000 people employed in the region. This declined by 100,000, to around 2,450,000, during 2009. Since then the number of people in employment has recovered, to 2,510,000 in latest period, from February to April 2011.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Employment Rates by Gender, all aged 16 and over, South West
This chart shows the employment rate for men and women in the South West, from August 2008 to April 2011.

It shows that the employment rate for men fell more quickly than that for women over the period of the recession. This reflects job losses in manufacturing and construction over this period, while public sector employment, in which women are over-represented, remained stable during this period. From mid 2009 male employment rates began to recover while those for women continued to decline. From the second half of 2010 male employment rates have again started to fall, while those for women have remained static.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Employment Rate, change on Year by Age Group, South West, Past 24 Months
This chart shows changes in the proportion of people of different age groups who were in employment over one year, from Oct 2008 – Sept 2009 to Oct 2009 – Sept 2010. It shows that the proportion of people aged 35 and over and who were in work rose over this period. Across all age groups the employment rate fell by -0.6%, due to significant declines in employment rates for young people aged 24 and under.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Composition of Employment & Claimant Count, South West, Past 24 Months
This graph shows how employment and JSA unemployment are distributed by occupation. It shows that people in lower skilled occupations, particularly Elementary and Sales & Customer Service Occupations are significantly over-represented among the unemployed. Conversely, unemployment among Managers & Senior Officials and people in Professional, Associate Professional & Technical Occupations is low.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Employment in high-technology and knowledge-intensive sectors (%)
This chart shows that the proportion of employment in knowledge intensive sectors grew steadily in the South West, from 48.3% in 2002 to 50.9% in 2007. However, the latest data suggests that the proportion of regional employment in these sectors fell between 2008 and 2009, while nationally it continued to rise. As a result by 2009 the proportion of the South West’s employment that was in the knowledge intensive sectors lagged the national average by 3.3 percentage points.
Download Spreadsheet - [117KB]  -  Updated: 05/12/2011


Working age benefit claimants
In the South West there were 405,000 people of working age claiming DWP benefits. 48% of all claimants (196,000 people) were claiming incapacity benefits (IB or ESA), compared to 21% (88,000) people on Jobseekers Allowance.
Download Spreadsheet - [164KB]  -  Updated: 15/12/2008


LFS Unemployment & Claimant Count, South West
Unemployment is assessed using two measures - Claimant Count and Labour Force Survey. The Claimant Count is a precise count of the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) in any single month and can reflect changes in policy as well as the labour market. LFS unemployment is derived from survey responses, based on the number of people who state that they are actively seeking employment, but are not actually in employment.

This chart shows both the Labour Force Survey and Claimant based unemployment rates for the South West, from April 2008 to May 2011. LFS unemployment is considerably higher than the claimant count, due to the fact that significant numbers of people who would like to work and who are not working are unable to claim unemployment-related benefits.

Both LFS and Claimant unemployment rose rapidly at the start of the recession, from summer to 2008 and spring 2009. It is interesting that both levelled off during first half of 2009, even though the economy continued shrinking until the fourth quarter of 2009. Since then claimant unemployment has declined very slightly. LFS unemployment declined significantly during the early stages of the recovery, falling from 6.7% in August 2009 to 5.5% in July 2010. In July 2010 this improvement reversed. At 6.5% in February 2010, LFS unemployment had returned to levels roughly in line with those seen at the height of the recession.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


LFS Unemployment Rates by Age Band, South West
This chart shows Unemployment Rates by Age Band for South West England, based on responses to the Labour Force Survey (LFS). LFS Unemployment rates vary significantly by age. The unemployment rate among 16-19 year olds (21.2%) is considerably higher than that for people in older age bands. The unemployment rate (13.2%) for 20 to 24 year olds is also significantly above the all age average (7.8%).
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Claimant Rate, South West Local Authorities, April 2008 to Latest Month
This chart shows the proportion of the working age population that was claiming Jobseekers Allowance in each South West local authority in May 2011. The claimant based unemployment rate was significantly above the regional average (2.5%) in the region’s urban areas - Torbay, Plymouth, Bristol, Swindon and Bournemouth. It was lowest in rural areas in the west and south of the region.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Claimant Count by Gender, South West, April 2008 to Present
This chart shows the number of JSA claimants by Gender from April 2008 to May 2011. The number of male JSA claimants rose 245%, from just under 29,400 in April 2008 to a peak of 72,000 in April 2009, before falling back to just over 55,00 in the latest period. The number of female JSA claimants rose by 250%, from a low of 11,222 in May 2008 to a peak of 28,075 in February 2011. The number of female JSA claimants has fallen very little during the ‘recovery’ from recession. In the year to April 2010, the number of male claimants had fallen by over 8,000, compared to a fall of just 500 for females.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Claimants per Vacancy, South West, April 08 to Present
This chart shows the number of JSA claimants per vacancy for the South West, from April 2008 to May 2011. Before the recession there were between 1.0 and 1.5 claimants per vacancy. This rose rapidly at the start of the recession, to over 4.0 claimants per vacancy in the spring of 2009. Although monthly fluctuations are large, with seasonal peaks in January and February of each year, the number of claimants per vacancy has shown a gradual decline since the height of the recession. In May 2011 there were 3.5 claimants per vacancy. This remains significantly above pre-recession levels, suggesting that the availability of employment remains low and competition for jobs continues to be high.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Claimants per Vacancy, South West Local Authorities, (Latest, Monthly on-Year)
This chart shows the number of JSA Claimants per Live Unfilled Vacancy in each Local Authority area. In May 2011, the proportion of JSA Claimants per notified vacancy varied significantly, from 8.5 claimants per vacancy in Plymouth to 2.3 claimants per vacancy in Dorset. The average for the region as a whole was 4.0.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Live unfilled vacancies, South West, April 08 to Present
This chart shows the number of live unfilled vacancies available via Jobcentre Plus in the South West, from April 2008 to May 2011. Before the recession, 30,000 to 40,000 vacancies were available to jobseekers in the South West. This figure collapsed to 14,000 in January 2009, since when the number of live unfilled vacancies has gradually recovered, to between 20,000 and 25,000. This remains significantly below pre-recession levels.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Proportion of claimants leaving JSA each month, by duration of unemployment, April 2008 to Present
This chart shows the proportion of JSA Claimants who cease claiming benefits each Month, by duration of claim, from April 2008 to April 2011. The chart shows that the likelihood of leaving benefits decreases with length of claim. Broadly speaking, around 30% to 35% of people who had been claiming JSA for less than 13 weeks leave the Claimant Count each month, compared to about 15% to 25% of those claiming between 26 weeks and 52 weeks, and 5% to 15% of those claiming for over one year.

There are significant monthly and seasonal fluctuations within the data. Discounting these, the chart shows that, over the last two years, the proportion of claimants leaving benefits has been gradually rising. This holds true for all durations of claim, although it follows a dramatic decline in the proportion of people leaving JSA each month at the start of the recession.
Download Spreadsheet - [585KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


GCSE's : Percentage of 15 year old pupils in local authority schools achieving five or more GCSEs at Grade A*-C or equivalent
The proportion of 15 year old pupils in local authority schools achieving five or more GCSEs at Grade A*-C or equivalent has shown a steady increase between 2004 and 2007 in both male and female students. Girls have consistently outperformed boys, although this gap has narrowed slightly since 2007, at which point the rate of improvement in performance by both groups saw a sharp rise.
Download Spreadsheet - [118KB]  -  Updated: 27/01/2012


GCSE's : Percentage of 15 year old pupils achieving the equivalent of five GCSE Grades A* to C including English and maths
The proportion of 15 year old pupils achieving the equivalent of five GCSE Grades A* to C including English and maths has shown a steady increase between 2005 and 2010 among both male and female students. Girls have consistently outperformed boys, although from 2007, the gap between boys and girls has begun to narrow.
Download Spreadsheet - [118KB]  -  Updated: 27/01/2012


Level 2 by Age 19 : Percentage of 19 year olds who are qualified to at least Level 2
The proportion of young people achieving at least a Level 2 qualification at age 19 has risen in all South West local authority areas, between 2004/5 and 2005/09. The largest rises have been seen in Plymouth (10%), Bristol (8%) and North Somerset (8%).

In 2008/09, 84% of 19 year olds in BANES achieved a Level 2 qualification or higher, compared to 70% of 19 year olds in Swindon.
Download Spreadsheet - [36KB]  -  Updated: 27/07/2010


Level 3 by Age 19 : Percentage of 19 year olds who are qualified to at least Level 3
The proportion of young people achieving a Level 3 qualification or higher at age 19 has risen in all South West local authority areas, between 2004/5 and 2005/09. The largest rises have been seen in Cornwall (7%), BANES (6%) and Bristol (6%). The smallest increases were seen in Bournemouth (1%), Torbay (1%) and Somerset (2%).

In 2008/09, 59% of 19 year olds in BANES achieved a Level 3 qualification or higher, compared to 41% of 19 year olds in Swindon and Plymouth.
Download Spreadsheet - [35KB]  -  Updated: 27/07/2010


Percentage of the population with no qualifications
The proportion of the South West’s population with no qualifications is around 3.6 percentage points lower than that seen nationally. There has been a gradual decline in the proportion of the population without qualifications, from 11.1% in 2004 to 8.7% in 2009.
Download Spreadsheet - [76KB]  -  Updated: 10/08/2011


Percentage of the population qualified to Level 2 or above
The proportion of the South West’s population qualified to Level 2 or above is around 1.8 percentage points higher than that seen nationally. There has been a steady increase in the proportion of the population with qualifications at Level 2 or above, from 68.3% in 2004 to 72.1% in 2009.
Download Spreadsheet - [227KB]  -  Updated: 09/08/2011


Percentage of the population qualified to Level 3 or above
The proportion of the South West’s population qualified to Level 3 or above is around 1.8 percentage points higher than that seen nationally. There has been a steady increase in the proportion of the population with qualifications at Level 3 or above, from 46.1% in 2004 to 49.6% in 2009.
Download Spreadsheet - [227KB]  -  Updated: 09/08/2011


Percentage of the population qualified to Level 4 or above
The proportion of the South West’s population qualified to Level 4 is similar that seen nationally. There has been a steady increase in the proportion of the population with higher level qualifications, from 26.0% in 2004 to 29.1% in 2009.
Download Spreadsheet - [227KB]  -  Updated: 09/08/2011


Higher Education: Participation, South West Local Authorities
This chart shows the change in the volume of people participating in Higher Education in the South West and England between 2004/05 and 2009/10. The graph shows that the number of HE participants was fairly steady until 2008/09 and the onset of recession. In 2008/09 the volume of people participating in HE rose dramatically, by five to six percentage points, which commentators put down to decisions to defer entry into an unfavourable labour market. The rise in HE participation also continued into 2009/10, though the rate of growth in the South West has not been quite as dramatic as that seen nationally.
Download Spreadsheet - [47KB]  -  Updated: 25/07/2011


Apprenticeship Starts
The volume of people doing Apprenticeships has seen rapid growth in recent years, at both Level 2 and Level 3. Over four years, from 2005/06 to 2009/10, the South West saw a 90% rise in the number of people starting Apprenticeships at Level 2 and a 73% rise in the number of people starting Apprenticeships at Level 3.
Download Spreadsheet - [45KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Apprenticeship Achievements
The volume of people completing their Apprenticeships and achieving full Level 2 and 3 qualifications has also grown in recent years. Between 2005/06 to 2009/10, the number of Level 2 Apprenticeship achievements rose by 90% and the number of Level 3 Apprenticeship achievements rose 100%. The vast majority of this growth was achieved over just two years, from 2007/08 to 2009/10.
Download Spreadsheet - [45KB]  -  Updated: 17/01/2012


Percentage of all who received job related training in last 13 wks - working age population
This chart shows the proportion of employees who, when surveyed, state that they received job related training in the previous 13 weeks. The proportion of employees receiving job related training in the South West has been consistently higher than the national average. However, since 2004, in the South West and nationally, the proportion of people receiving job-related training has been falling.
Download Spreadsheet - [109KB]  -  Updated: 08/08/2011


Level of Sophistication of HR Planning by Number of Plans at E1
This graph shows the proportion of employers in each South West local authority area who were identified within the 2009 National Employers Skills Survey as having either no 'plans' or all three of plans about which they were asked, these being a) Business Plan b) Training Plan b) Training Budget.

Across the South West, almost three-fifths of all employers in the South West (57%) have a business plan specifying the establishment’s objectives for the 12 months ahead. 43% have a training plan specifying in advance the level and types of training staff will need in the coming year, and just over a third (36%) have a budget for this training expenditure. A third of the region's employers do not have any of these formal plans.

Sub-regionally, the proportion of employers with no or with three plans varies. Swindon, an urban area with a larger than average proportion of larger employers, has the highest proportion of employers with three plans (41%), and is the only area where the level of formal planning is higher than the level of those who do no planning. The highest proportions of employers who have no plans in place tend to be in the areas towards the south and west of the region i.e. Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.
Download Spreadsheet - [56KB]  -  Updated: 15/03/2010

Other Research

Labour Market Updates
Regional Labour Market Reports
Local Labour Market Reports
NESS 2009
JobCentre Plus Data
Office of National Statistics