Standing view · labour_market · Antrim and Newtownabbey
deteriorating, held with established confidence, formed on 5 October 2026 from movements in 2026-08.
The claimant count in Antrim and Newtownabbey stood at 1,980 in January 2026 and 2,085 in February, then 2,095 in April, 2,020 in May and 1,965 in June. January, May and June were recorded as favourable against the usual pattern for their months, February and April as unfavourable. Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64 were 2.3% in April 2026, 2.2% in May and 2.1% in June, a fall of 0.2 percentage points over the quarter.
A view is formed only where the evidence names a figure you can check. Each movement listed as a reason had to be large enough to matter and distinctive in at least one way — unusual against this area's own history, unusual against comparable areas, or sustained over several periods. A movement shared with peers counts for less, because it says something about the country rather than about Antrim and Newtownabbey. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Claimant count | 2026-01 | improving |
| Claimant count | 2026-02 | deteriorating |
| Claimant count | 2026-04 | deteriorating |
| Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 | 2026-04 | deteriorating |
| Claimant count | 2026-05 | improving |
| Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 | 2026-05 | improving |
| Claimant count | 2026-06 | improving |
| Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 | 2026-06 | improving |