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Claimant Count data no longer represent 'Official' Unemployment Figures, but simply a measure of those people who are claiming the Jobseekers Allowance unemployment-related benefit (i.e. the Claimant Count). Go to the latest 'Official' unemployment figures.
* Confidentiality restrictions forbid the publication of numbers less than five.
The data on this sheet therefore no longer represent 'official' unemployment figures, but simply a measure of those people who are claiming unemployment-related benefits (the Claimant Count). The male, female and total claimant count numbers reported are consistent with numbers on sheets up to November 2002, however, the new proportions contained on this and future Lancashire Ward and District sheets are no longer comparable with rates published prior to December 2002, as the methodology used to calculate the percentage of unemployment via the Claimant Count has also changed (see immediately below).
In January 2003, the ONS announced that as from December 2002, the previous workplace-based rates of Claimant Counts for areas smaller than regions (i.e Wards, Districts, Unitary Authorities and Counties) would be withdrawn from National Statistics and would no longer appear. As from December 2002, the ONS would be publishing local area claimant count levels as a proportion of the resident working age population (females 16-59, males 16-64) for local authorities - and other geographies that can be derived from local authority data. The new residence-based percentages are referred to as 'proportions' to distinguish them from the previous rates that used workplace-based denominators. The new proportions are not distorted by the effects of commuting that can be evident when the workplace-based formula is applied. The removal of this possible distortion was a main reason for implementing the changes to the unemployment data.
SOURCE : The Ward and District Claimant Count Numbers and Proportions have been sourced from the Government's Office for National Statistics (ONS), via the National Online Manpower Information System (NOMIS). THE NEW DISTRICT PROPORTIONS ARE NO LONGER COMPARABLE WITH DISTRICT RATES PRODUCED PRIOR TO DECEMBER 2002 (BASED ON EITHER THE PREVIOUS ONS WORKPLACE-BASED DENOMINATORS OR THE LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL 1996 RESIDENCE-BASED WORKFORCE ESTIMATES).
The ONS/NOMIS introduced 2003 Census Area Statistic (CAS) Wards to collate Claimant Count Numbers at the Ward level for data relating to February 2004 onwards. NOMIS will not publish any back-dated Claimant Count data series for the 2003 CAS Wards. Prior to February 2004, the monthly Claimant Count Numbers related to 1991 frozen wards (which were introduced in approximately 1996). As From May 2004, claimant Count Proportions at the Ward level have also been produced by the ONS, via the National Online Manpower Information System (NOMIS). Proportions for February 2004 to April 2004 were calculated by Lancashire County Council's Research and Intelligence Team using Resident Working Age Populations (Males aged 16-64 and Females aged 16-59) derived from the 2001 Census of Population. THE NEW WARD PROPORTIONS ARE NOT COMPARABLE WITH THE WARD RATES PUBLISHED BY LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL PRIOR TO DECEMBER 2002 AS THE DENOMINATORS DIFFER.
The ONS/NOMIS will continue to build up District level Claimant Count statistics (as well as those for Travel to Work Areas, Government Office Regions and Constituencies) from 1991 frozen ward data until the ONS/NOMIS system is upgraded during 2005/2006 to use 2001 Census Output Areas. In a very few instances, this may result in some minor discrepancies with the figures at the district level and above (as the sum of the Claimant Count derived via the 2003 CAS Wards and their Proportions may differ marginally from those derived via the 1991 Frozen Wards).
Until November 2002, Lancashire County Council's Research and Intelligence Team produced estimates of District and Ward unemployment rates using a denominator based upon the 1996 resident workforce estimate. This provided an estimated rate of unemployment of the resident workforce in an area, as opposed to those who worked in a given area (which the ONS produced). THE NEW WARD PROPORTIONS ARE NOT COMPARABLE WITH THE WARD RATES PUBLISHED BY LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL PRIOR TO DECEMBER 2002 AS THE DENOMINATORS DIFFER. Claimant Count Rates/Proportions are presently unavailable between December 2002 and January 2004, inclusive, owing to the incompatibility between the 1991 wards (via which the claimant numbers were collated) and the 2001 Census wards data, which is required to calculate meaningful denominators.
New residence-based Proportions will initially be available for local authority areas at the District level (and above) from January 2001 onwards. Residence-based proportions at the District level for the years prior to 2001 will be produced following the revision of the 1991 to 2000 population estimates series to be consistent with the 2001 data. The ONS will not produce any backdated series of 'Official' resident-based proportions for Wards prior to the date when they became available (May 2004 data).
THE YEARLY PERCENTAGE (%) CHANGE IN CLAIMANT COUNT NUMBERS: Figures will not be available until February 2005 as the ONS are not producing any backdated series for the 2003 CAS Wards.
Please refer to full notes in relation to the changes to the definition of 'Unemployment'.
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