London claimant count


Changes in the claimant count in London since March 2020 help to illustrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market.

  • In the month up to February 2024, the non-seasonally adjusted claimant count rose by 15,100 (5.1%).

  • On the year, the claimant count was up by 33,400 (11.9%).

  • From March 2020 to February 2024, the claimant count rose from 187,000 to 313,000 (68%).

The following sections present a breakdown of the latest data for people living in local authorities in London.

Only non-seasonally adjusted data is available at the local level. We therefore use non seasonally adjusted data throughout this briefing for consistency.

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Source: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted (NSA).

Note: March 2020 indicated by dotted line.


Regional comparison


The claimant count rate varies between the regions and countries of the UK.

  • The region/country with the highest claimant count rate in February 2024 was London (5.2%), while the lowest rate was in South West (2.7%).

  • A year earlier in February 2023, the region/country with the highest rate was West Midlands (4.8%), while the lowest rate was in South West (2.5%).

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Source: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted (NSA).


Claimant count by London local authority


Across London local authorities in February 2024:

  • Newham had the highest claimant rate at 7.2%, followed by Barking and Dagenham (7.1%) and Brent (6.9%).

  • Newham had the highest claimant count level at 17,900, followed by Brent (16,200) and Croydon (15,300).

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Claimant rate

Source: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database rights [2015].


Number of claimants

Source: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database rights [2015].


Changes by local authority


Between February 2023 and February 2024:

  • The boroughs of Newham, Brent and Tower Hamlets saw the highest absolute increases in the claimant count. They saw increases of 2,780 (18%), 2,160 (15%), and 1,980 (17%), respectively.

  • The local authorities with the highest percentage point increases in the claimant rate were Newham (1.1pp), Barking and Dagenham (1pp), and Brent (0.9pp).

  • Across London, the claimant rate increased by 0.5pp on the year for men and increased by 0.6pp for women.

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Change in claimant count

Source: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted.


Change in claimant rate

Source: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted.


Changes by age group


The change in claimant count by age group varies significantly across local authorities. On the year (excl. City of London):

  • Aged 16-24: Kingston upon Thames saw the highest percentage change at 30%.

  • Aged 25-49: Newham saw the highest percentage change at 20%.

  • Aged 50+: Bromley saw the highest percentage change at 21%.

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Source: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted.

Note: Excludes City of London


Claimant data by sub-region


The tables below provide detailed breakdowns of claimant count statistics for each London local authority, grouped by their respective London sub-regional partnership areas.

The ranks are assigned across all local authorities rather than within sub-regional partnerships.

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Central London Forward

Source: Claimant count by sex and age (via Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted and the figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Notes: Local authorities are ranked within London overall (not by sub-region); claimant rates for sub-regions have been calculated using aggregated local authority data.


Local London

Source: Claimant count by sex and age (via Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted and the figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Notes: Local authorities are ranked within London overall (not by sub-region); claimant rates for sub-regions have been calculated using aggregated local authority data.


South London Partnership

Source: Claimant count by sex and age (via Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted and the figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Notes: Local authorities are ranked within London overall (not by sub-region); claimant rates for sub-regions have been calculated using aggregated local authority data.


West London Alliance

Source: Claimant count by sex and age (via Nomis) – data is not seasonally adjusted and the figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Notes: Local authorities are ranked within London overall (not by sub-region); claimant rates for sub-regions have been calculated using aggregated local authority data.


Notes on the Claimant Count


The ONS has published its latest figures for February 2024 for the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits - the ONS Claimant Count. This briefing presents the latest statistics for local authorities in London.

The claimant count is the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance plus people claiming Universal Credit who are required to seek work. It is a timely source of data for tracking changes in the labour market at a local level, although many new claimants will not be wholly unemployed, partly due to changes in Universal Credit eligibility*. Some claimants will be unemployed and seeking work, others may be temporarily inactive or away from work, or employed but with low earnings. For more information see here.

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*Under Universal Credit, a broader span of claimants are also required to look for work than under Jobseeker’s Allowance. The DWP Alternative Claimant Count series adjusts for this over time. However, that series is less timely than the ONS Claimant Count and the differences between the two are modest for recent periods.