The Datum Report

Local area

Barnsley

What we think is happening

The job market in Barnsley has been going both ways.

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

What is distinctive here

These moved unusually against comparable areas, and did not simply move with them. A change shared with everywhere else is a fact about the country, not this place.

MeasurePeriodValueChangeAgainst peers
Employment rate - aged 16-64 Apr 2025-Mar 2026 72.3% -3.5 in the bottom 1% of 171

By subject

Every figure published for Barnsley. 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
6.9%
6.77.99.12025-12-31: 8.92026-03-31: 6.9 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 6.9 to 8.9 · axis starts at 6.7

ONS, Annual Population Survey - headline labour market rates, published 21 July 2026
±2.1, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

Employment rate - aged 16-64
Apr 2025-Mar 2026
72.3%
71.974.076.22025-12-31: 75.82026-03-31: 72.3 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 72.3 to 75.8 · axis starts at 71.9

ONS, Annual Population Survey - headline labour market rates, published 21 July 2026
±3.7, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

Unemployment rate - aged 16-64
Apr 2025-Mar 2026
2.6%
0.91.92.82025-12-31: 1.12026-03-31: 2.6 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 1.1 to 2.6 · axis starts at 0.9

ONS, Annual Population Survey - headline labour market rates, published 21 July 2026
±1.5, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

25.7%
23.024.526.02025-12-31: 23.32026-03-31: 25.7 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 23.3 to 25.7 · axis starts at 23.0

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±3.6, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

Claimant count
August 2026
5,125
4,7514,9805,2092026-01-31: 4,7952026-02-28: 5,0802026-03-31: 5,1652026-04-30: 5,1102026-05-31: 5,0752026-06-30: 5,0152026-07-31: 5,0102026-08-31: 5,125 2026-01 2026-08
8 monthly readings · 4,795 to 5,165 · axis starts at 4,751

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

3.3%
3.13.23.32026-01-31: 3.12026-02-28: 3.32026-03-31: 3.32026-04-30: 3.32026-05-31: 3.32026-06-30: 3.22026-07-31: 3.22026-08-31: 3.3 2026-01 2026-08
8 monthly readings · 3.1 to 3.3 · axis starts at 3.1

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
—

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
Not published: Estimate and confidence interval not available since the group sample size is zero or disclosive (0-2)
25 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

32.8%
32.733.333.92025-12-31: 33.82026-03-31: 32.8 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 32.8 to 33.8 · axis starts at 32.7

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±7.5, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

21.8%
20.121.122.02025-12-31: 20.32026-03-31: 21.8 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 20.3 to 21.8 · axis starts at 20.1

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±6.6, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

12.8%
12.713.213.72025-12-31: 13.62026-03-31: 12.8 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 12.8 to 13.6 · axis starts at 12.7

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±5.4, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

22.5%
22.422.823.12025-12-31: 232026-03-31: 22.5 2025-12 2026-03
2 monthly readings · 22.5 to 23 · axis starts at 22.4

ONS, Annual Population Survey - variables (percentages), published 21 July 2026
±6.7, basis not documented by the producer
23 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

Pay 1
£21,322
7,38215k23k1997-12-31: 8,8761998-12-31: 9,0381999-12-31: 9,5622000-12-31: 10k2001-12-31: 10k2002-12-31: 11k2003-12-31: 11k2004-12-31: 11k2005-12-31: 12k2006-12-31: 12k2007-12-31: 13k2008-12-31: 13k2009-12-31: 13k2010-12-31: 13k2011-12-31: 13k2012-12-31: 14k2013-12-31: 14k2014-12-31: 15k2015-12-31: 15k2016-12-31: 15k2017-12-31: 16k2018-12-31: 16k2019-12-31: 17k2020-12-31: 17k2021-12-31: 18k2022-12-31: 19k2023-12-31: 20k2024-12-31: 21k 1997-12 2024-12
28 annual readings · 8,876 to 21k · axis starts at 7,382

ONS, Gross disposable household income per head

Business 12
Businesses
2025
6,720

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

5,145

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

390

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

35

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

10

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

235

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

10

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

805

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

80

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

10

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

7,845

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

5,052
1,5843,5045,4241998-12-31: 1,9611999-12-31: 1,9562000-12-31: 2,0232001-12-31: 2,1312002-12-31: 2,2222003-12-31: 2,3682004-12-31: 2,5302005-12-31: 2,6292006-12-31: 2,7482007-12-31: 2,9592008-12-31: 2,8992009-12-31: 2,7912010-12-31: 2,8852011-12-31: 2,9712012-12-31: 3,0862013-12-31: 3,2072014-12-31: 3,3502015-12-31: 3,4282016-12-31: 3,4882017-12-31: 3,6552018-12-31: 3,8172019-12-31: 3,9752020-12-31: 3,8882021-12-31: 4,1922022-12-31: 4,6872023-12-31: 5,052 1998-12 2023-12
26 annual readings · 1,956 to 5,052 · axis starts at 1,584

ONS, Gross value added, published 16 October 2025