The Datum Report

ITL1 region

West Midlands (England)

What we think is happening

The number claiming unemployment benefits in West Midlands (England) has been rising, though other measures here have run the other way.

mixed · tentative confidence · formed 31 August 2026 · how we reached this

By subject

Every figure published for West Midlands (England). Open a subject to see them, each with its history and its source. Where a producer splits the area into many categories, those sit behind a further disclosure.

Labour market 11
8.1%
7.69.010.32020-03-31: 9.92020-06-30: 10.12020-09-30: 9.42020-12-31: 9.22021-03-31: 9.12021-06-30: 8.52021-09-30: 8.52021-12-31: 8.42022-12-31: 8.32023-03-31: 8.42023-06-30: 8.72023-09-30: 8.72024-03-31: 8.42024-12-31: 8.52025-09-30: 8.12025-12-31: 7.92026-03-31: 8.1 2020-03 2026-03
17 monthly readings · 7.9 to 10.1 · axis starts at 7.6

ONS, Annual Population Survey - headline labour market rates, published 21 July 2026
±0.6, basis not documented by the producer
8 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

Employment rate - aged 16-64
Apr 2025-Mar 2026
73.6%
73.374.475.42020-03-31: 73.92020-06-30: 74.22020-09-30: 73.52020-12-31: 73.52021-03-31: 73.72021-06-30: 73.52021-09-30: 73.62021-12-31: 73.62022-03-31: 73.72022-06-30: 73.52022-09-30: 73.62022-12-31: 73.82023-03-31: 73.62023-06-30: 74.32023-09-30: 74.82023-12-31: 75.22024-03-31: 75.02024-06-30: 74.62024-09-30: 74.32024-12-31: 74.02025-03-31: 73.92025-06-30: 74.22025-09-30: 74.32025-12-31: 73.62026-03-31: 73.6 2020-03 2026-03
25 monthly readings · 73.5 to 75.2 · axis starts at 73.3

ONS, Annual Population Survey - headline labour market rates, published 21 July 2026
±1.0, basis not documented by the producer

Unemployment rate - aged 16-64
Apr 2025-Mar 2026
5.8%
5.85.85.92025-12-31: 5.92026-03-31: 5.8 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 5.8 to 5.9 · axis starts at 5.8

ONS, Annual Population Survey - headline labour market rates, published 21 July 2026
±0.6, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

21.9%
21.121.922.82020-03-31: 22.22020-06-30: 21.92020-09-30: 22.32020-12-31: 22.22021-03-31: 21.92021-06-30: 22.12021-09-30: 22.42021-12-31: 22.42022-03-31: 22.52022-06-30: 22.52022-09-30: 22.52022-12-31: 22.52023-03-31: 22.52023-06-30: 22.02023-09-30: 21.52023-12-31: 21.22024-06-30: 22.32024-09-30: 22.42024-12-31: 22.52025-03-31: 22.62025-06-30: 22.02025-09-30: 21.32025-12-31: 21.82026-03-31: 21.9 2020-03 2026-03
24 monthly readings · 21.2 to 22.6 · axis starts at 21.1

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±0.9, basis not documented by the producer
1 earlier period withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

Claimant count
August 2026
203,540
193k199k205k2026-01-31: 194k2026-02-28: 200k2026-03-31: 201k2026-04-30: 199k2026-05-31: 199k2026-06-30: 199k2026-07-31: 198k2026-08-31: 204k 2026-01 2026-08
8 monthly readings · 194k to 204k · axis starts at 193k

ONS / DWP, Claimant count by sex and age, published 15 September 2026
72 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

5.3%
5.15.25.32026-01-31: 5.12026-02-28: 5.22026-03-31: 5.32026-04-30: 5.22026-05-31: 5.22026-06-30: 5.22026-07-31: 5.22026-08-31: 5.3 2026-01 2026-08
8 monthly readings · 5.1 to 5.3 · axis starts at 5.1

ONS / DWP, Claimant count by sex and age, published 15 September 2026
72 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

% of economically inactive 5
0.4%
0.30.30.42025-12-31: 0.32026-03-31: 0.4 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 0.3 to 0.4 · axis starts at 0.3

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±0.3, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

28.8%
28.729.129.62025-12-31: 29.52026-03-31: 28.8 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 28.8 to 29.5 · axis starts at 28.7

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±2.1, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

20.2%
18.220.222.22025-12-31: 20.22026-03-31: 20.2 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · unchanged at 20.2 · axis starts at 18.2

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±1.9, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

10.7%
10.611.111.62025-12-31: 11.52026-03-31: 10.7 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 10.7 to 11.5 · axis starts at 10.6

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±1.5, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

26.5%
25.826.226.62025-12-31: 25.92026-03-31: 26.5 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 25.9 to 26.5 · axis starts at 25.8

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±2.1, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

Pay 1
£22,064
8,19316k24k1997-12-31: 9,6791998-12-31: 9,9591999-12-31: 10k2000-12-31: 11k2001-12-31: 11k2002-12-31: 11k2003-12-31: 12k2004-12-31: 12k2005-12-31: 12k2006-12-31: 13k2007-12-31: 13k2008-12-31: 14k2009-12-31: 14k2010-12-31: 14k2011-12-31: 14k2012-12-31: 15k2013-12-31: 15k2014-12-31: 16k2015-12-31: 16k2016-12-31: 17k2017-12-31: 17k2018-12-31: 17k2019-12-31: 18k2020-12-31: 18k2021-12-31: 19k2022-12-31: 20k2023-12-31: 21k2024-12-31: 22k 1997-12 2024-12
28 annual readings · 9,679 to 22k · axis starts at 8,193

ONS, Gross disposable household income per head

Business 12
Businesses
2025
216,145

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises, published 14 October 2025
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

167,580

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

12,775

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

1,165
9341,0951,2562010-03-31: 9652011-03-31: 9802012-03-31: 1,0602013-03-31: 1,1002014-03-31: 1,1202015-03-31: 1,1402016-03-31: 1,2102017-03-31: 1,2002018-03-31: 1,1802019-03-31: 1,2252020-03-31: 1,2202021-03-31: 1,1652022-03-31: 1,1602023-03-31: 1,1652024-03-31: 1,1752025-03-31: 1,165 2010-03 2025-03
16 annual readings · 965 to 1,225 · axis starts at 934

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025

250
2052302552010-03-31: 2252011-03-31: 2102012-03-31: 2102013-03-31: 2152014-03-31: 2152015-03-31: 2152016-03-31: 2152017-03-31: 2202018-03-31: 2352019-03-31: 2402020-03-31: 2302021-03-31: 2302022-03-31: 2302023-03-31: 2502024-03-31: 2452025-03-31: 250 2010-03 2025-03
16 annual readings · 210 to 250 · axis starts at 205

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025

6,795

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

475
2903924952010-03-31: 3202011-03-31: 3102012-03-31: 3152013-03-31: 3752014-03-31: 3702015-03-31: 3902016-03-31: 4152017-03-31: 4452018-03-31: 4352019-03-31: 4552020-03-31: 4252021-03-31: 4602022-03-31: 4502023-03-31: 4602024-03-31: 4602025-03-31: 475 2010-03 2025-03
16 annual readings · 310 to 475 · axis starts at 290

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025

24,565

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

2,285

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

250
1262002742010-03-31: 1552011-03-31: 1502012-03-31: 1602013-03-31: 1402014-03-31: 1552015-03-31: 1552016-03-31: 1852017-03-31: 1952018-03-31: 2152019-03-31: 2152020-03-31: 2552021-03-31: 2402022-03-31: 2502023-03-31: 2602024-03-31: 2552025-03-31: 250 2010-03 2025-03
16 annual readings · 140 to 260 · axis starts at 126

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 14 October 2025

252,320

ONS, UK Business Counts - local units, published 14 October 2025
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

174,608
58k123k187k1998-12-31: 71k1999-12-31: 73k2000-12-31: 75k2001-12-31: 78k2002-12-31: 81k2003-12-31: 85k2004-12-31: 89k2005-12-31: 93k2006-12-31: 96k2007-12-31: 99k2008-12-31: 102k2009-12-31: 99k2010-12-31: 102k2011-12-31: 105k2012-12-31: 109k2013-12-31: 114k2014-12-31: 119k2015-12-31: 124k2016-12-31: 129k2017-12-31: 136k2018-12-31: 141k2019-12-31: 144k2020-12-31: 136k2021-12-31: 147k2022-12-31: 159k2023-12-31: 175k 1998-12 2023-12
26 annual readings · 71k to 175k · axis starts at 58k

ONS, Gross value added, published 16 October 2025

Local authorities in West Midlands (England)

Birmingham · Bromsgrove · Cannock Chase · Coventry · Dudley · East Staffordshire · Herefordshire, County of · Lichfield · Malvern Hills · Newcastle-under-Lyme · North Warwickshire · Nuneaton and Bedworth · Redditch · Rugby · Sandwell · Shropshire · Solihull · South Staffordshire · Stafford · Staffordshire Moorlands · Stoke-on-Trent · Stratford-on-Avon · Tamworth · Telford and Wrekin · Walsall · Warwick · Wolverhampton · Worcester · Wychavon · Wyre Forest