Job Seeker's Allowance by region

Proportion of working-age adults receiving JSA by region

What does this graph show?

The proportion of people receiving JSA in Inner London is, at around 5%, slightly above the national average. In Outer London, at 4%, it is slightly below. The net effect is that London overall is broadly average.

Inner London, while being slightly above average, saw its rate rise quite slowly since 2007. The 1.5 percentage point increase is lower than any English region and means that, while in 2007 it had higher rates of JSA recipiency than any other region in England, by the end of 2009 it was lower than the West Midlands and the North East.

This echoes quite closely the unemployment figures in that the level of change in London generally (and Inner London specifically) has been lower than elsewhere.

Additional information

Over the period covered in the graph, the number of people in London receiving JSA increased for all ethnic groups, by between 65% and 100%. Like the unemployment figures, it is not clear that any one ethnic group fared better or worse than any other.

The number of women claiming JSA has risen at a faster rate than men during the recession (80% for women, 60% for men between 2007 and 2009). The changing rules around lone parent eligibility for Income Support are likely to explain at least some of this difference. In 2008, lone parents whose children were younger than 12 were moved to JSA. In 2009, this age was further lowered to 10, with a further change to age 7 planned for October 2010.

Data used

DWP Longitudinal Study, 2007 and 2009

Receiving JSA is not the same as being unemployed. The unemployment indicators show that 7% of the population of London were unemployed, but only 4% received JSA. It is possible to be unemployed and not qualify for JSA. The entitlement to contribution-based JSA only lasts six months. Thereafter, the benefit is means tested, which results in many people losing the right to the benefit.

Indicator last updated: 8 October 2010

Other indicators in Women

• Child ill health
• Premature death by region
• Not working by country of birth
• Underage conception by borough
• Low-paid residents by region
• Unemployment by ethnicity, country of birth and gender
• Part-time work
• Child poverty and work

Other indicators in Working-age adults

• Poverty in Inner and Outer London
• Working-age out-of-work benefits by region
• Working age out-of-work benefits within London
• Income inequality in London compared with other English regions
• Income inequalities within London boroughs
• Pay inequalities within London
• Working-age adults lacking work over time
• Working-age adults lacking work by borough
• Adult ill health
• Adult ill-health by borough
• Low-paid residents by borough
• Low-paid jobs by borough
• Low income and ethnicity in London
• Lacking work by ethnicity
• Not working by country of birth
• Not working by ethnicity and country of birth
• Low pay by ethnicity
• Premature death by borough
• Low-paid residents by region
• Low-paid jobs by sub-region
• Families receiving in-work benefits
• Working age out-of-work benefits by borough
• Unemployment rates over time
• Unemployment numbers by sub-region
• Unemployment by ethnicity, country of birth and gender
• Unemployment in London by age
• Part-time work
• Job Seeker's Allowance by borough
• Child, adult and pensioner poverty
• London's low income population
• Child and adult poverty and work
• Recession impact on out-of-work benefits
• Young adult unemployment over time

View all indicators