Standing view · labour_market · Tees Valley
mixed, held with tentative confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2026-07.
The claimant count in Tees Valley rose to 17,965 in February 2026, 18,075 in March and 18,070 in April, then improved to 18,025 in June. The proportion of residents aged 16 to 64 claiming rose to 4.1% in February, then was recorded as favourable at 4.1% in April and again in June. Economic inactivity improved to 24.7% in the year to March 2026. The count rose three times while the rate held at the same level.
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 Tees Valley. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Claimant count | 2026-02 | deteriorating |
| Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 | 2026-02 | deteriorating |
| % who are economically inactive - aged 16-64 | 2026-03 | improving |
| Claimant count | 2026-03 | deteriorating |
| Claimant count | 2026-04 | deteriorating |
| Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 | 2026-04 | improving |
| Claimant count | 2026-06 | improving |
| Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 | 2026-06 | improving |