Call for Government support as North East jobs market trails rest of UK

That’s the message from the region’s leading business organisation as the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show the region continues to trail the rest of the country.

Figures released today, Tuesday, October 15 show that between June and August 2024, the unemployment rate in the North East among over-16s between June and August 2024 was 5.6% - 1.6% higher than the UK average. 

And the proportion of the workforce classed as economically inactive - neither in employment nor actively seeking a job - was 3.9% higher than the UK average, at 25.7%. 

The region’s employment rate among over-16s was 70%, five per cent lower than the UK as a whole. 

North East Chamber of Commerce policy manager Marianne O’Sullivan said the government’s recently published Industrial Strategy had highlighted the importance of boosting economic growth in the regions by supporting key sectors.

These industries included advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services. 

“Support for the North East’s key growth sectors was one of the Chamber’s election asks to create important new job opportunities in the region,” she said.

“This will help to improve our unemployment and economic inactivity rates.”

Tackling the problem of economic inactivity and getting people back into the workforce was a vital element in boosting the North East’s economy, added Ms O’Sullivan: “The government has also said it will focus on people and skills as part of this strategy and will publish a white paper in the coming months focused on supporting people back into work to reduce economic inactivity.

“We will be working closely with the mayors, government and Skills England to ensure that we have the right skills and employment support in the region to allow local people to access these job opportunities.”