Unemployment by borough

What does this graph show?

Rates of unemployment in London's boroughs are similar to those found in other large cities in England. The proportion of unemployed adults in cities such as Hull (9%), Birmingham (8.5%), Manchester and Nottingham (8% in each) is higher than in London on average (6%).

Within London, the highest levels of unemployment are found in Tower Hamlets where around 9% of working-age adults are unemployed, followed by Newham at 8.5% and Lambeth and Barking & Dagenham at around 8%. With the exception of Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham, all the twelve boroughs with the highest levels of unemployment are in the Inner East & South or Outer East & North East.

Almost all boroughs in London saw an increase in unemployment from the middle of the last decade until the end, with the largest increases in Bexley and Kingston. The only exceptions are Brent, Greenwich, and Hackney, which saw small falls in unemployment and Wandsworth and Sutton where unemployment levels remained the same.

But the rises in cities such as Hull, Newcastle and Manchester were far greater. This does lend some weight to the view that London's recession has so far been less severe than that experienced elsewhere.

The high level of unemployment in Newham needs pointing out. Despite the Olympic park development and the building of Westfield shopping centre in Stratford (though the centre opened after these statistics were collected), Newham still has the second highest level of unemployment of any London borough.

Data used

Annual Population Survey via NOMIS

Indicator last updated: 27 January 2012