Dagenham and Rainham Unemployed Claimant Data - May 2019

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Dagenham and Rainham Unemployed Claimant Data - May 2019

The total number of unemployed claimants in Dagenham and Rainham constituency in May 2019 was 2,430. This represents a rate of 4.4% of the economically active population aged 16-64.

The equivalent UK claimant rate was 3.5%. The UK unemployment rate, which includes people not claiming benefits and is estimated from survey data, was 3.8% in February to April 2019.

The number of claimants in Dagenham and Rainham constituency is 715 higher than May 2018 and 100 higher than April 2019. There were 435 claimants aged 18-24 in May 2019, 105 higher than May 2018.

Figures are not seasonally adjusted and are rounded to the nearest five. 'Unemployed claimants' include people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or who are claiming Universal Credit and are required to seek work.

How do figures change when we adjust for Universal Credit roll out?

      • Universal Credit requires a broader group of claimants to look for work than was the case under Jobseeker's Allowance. This has the effect of increasing the number of unemployed claimants after Universal Credit is rolled out in an area.
      • To adjust for this, new statistics are now published. In addition to counting people currently claiming unemployment benefits, they include people who would have been required to look for work had Universal Credit always been in place. These figures have not been updated this month, and will next be updated in July.
      • Using this alternative count, there would have been 2,885 unemployed claimants in Dagenham and Rainham in February 2019.
      • On this basis, the number of claimants would have been 205 higher than February 2018, and 145 higher than January 2019.

These adjusted figures are likely to give a better indication of unemployment trends after Universal Credit roll out than the unadjusted figures above.

Jon Cruddas MP said: "the government keep telling us that the economy is growing, and that unemployment is at its lowest since 1974. However, the statistics tell a different story. Whilst these stats may paint a bleak picture there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"Dagenham and Rainham has a lot of investment on the way with the new film studio's and London's three historic markets; Smithfield, New Spitalfields and Billingsgate coming to the area in the next few years. These moves will see thousands of new jobs and opportunities for local people."