Unemployment Hotspots Revealed: Birmingham Leads the Pack
Afforda, the savvy financial sidekick of the Office for National Statistics, just dropped a fresh breakdown of which UK local authorities are topping the charts for unemployment benefit claims. Spoiler alert: Birmingham is hogging the top spot.
The Data Behind the Drama
- Methodology, plain English: Take the raw number of benefit claimants in October 2024 and turn it into a per‑100,000‑resident rate. That way we can compare cities that have wildly different populations.
- Why it matters: The higher the rate, the more people are feeling the pinch of job loss (or failure to find a job).
Top Ten Unemployment Benefit Claims – Where’s the Money (and Who’s Feeling it?)?
- Birmingham – 10,749.64 claimants per 100,000 residents. Total 81,375 in Oct 2024: a +29.93% jump from 2023.
- Newham – 8,466.63 per 100,000. Total 21,850: a +30.37% rise.
- Bradford – 8,324.42 per 100,000. Total 29,030: a +33.04% uptick.
- Barking & Dagenham – 8,211.12 per 100,000. Total 11,920: +23.27% increase.
- Wolverhampton – 7,968.77 per 100,000. Total 13,525: +12.19% growth.
- Brent – 7,933.81 per 100,000. Total 18,905: +26.16% upsurge.
- Haringey – 7,931.27 per 100,000. Total 14,915: +18.33% climb.
- Enfield – 7,735.93 per 100,000. Total 16,465: +31.67% boost.
- Oldham – 7,714.73 per 100,000. Total 11,725: +23.94% rise.
- Luton – 7,577.02 per 100,000. Total 11,325: an +35.79% jump!
Low‑Pressure, High‑Comfort: Isles of Scilly
The Islands report a tiny 1,094.09 claimants per 100,000—just 15 people in October 2024. So… no changes. Maybe the sea breezes keep everything calm.
A Word From the Charge: Mark Fiander
“These numbers show that some corners of the UK are still doing the literal dance of financial hardship,” says Mark Fiander, CEO of GAIN Credit LLC (affordably trading as Afforda). “We urgently need tailored support and smart investment. It’s not just about jobs—it’s about giving communities the tools to bloom in this fast‑moving economy.”
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