Standing view · labour_market · Nottingham
improving, held with established confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2026-07.
Payrolled employees in Nottingham rose from 133,971 in February 2026 to 134,405 in May, 134,631 in June and 134,743 in July, but all four readings were recorded as unfavourable against the usual pattern for their months. The proportion of residents aged 16 to 64 claiming eased to 5.9% in April and was recorded as favourable at 5.9% again in June. A payroll growing while running below its seasonal norm is the tension in these figures.
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 Nottingham. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Payrolled employees | 2026-02 | deteriorating |
| Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 | 2026-04 | improving |
| Payrolled employees | 2026-05 | deteriorating |
| Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 | 2026-06 | improving |
| Payrolled employees | 2026-06 | deteriorating |
| Payrolled employees | 2026-07 | deteriorating |