Working-age adults lacking work over time

The proportion of individuals lacking paid work, over time

What do the graphs show?

At 33%, the proportion of working-age adults lacking work in Inner London is much higher than the average for the rest of England (26%). The proportion in Outer London is also above that average.

In the decade to 2009, the proportion of working-age adults lacking work remained constant in Inner London and rose slightly in Outer London. Over the same period, the proportion of adults lacking work in the rest of England also rose slightly.

In Inner London in the last decade, proportion of adults lacking but wanting work decreased from 16% to 14%, and the proportion lacking and not wanting work increased from 17% to 19%. In outer London, there was an increase in both categories.

Terms such as 'lack' and 'want' are used in a neutral sense here. In particular, people can have perfectly good reasons for not wanting paid work. They could be spending their time doing non-paid work, including caring for relatives or friends. Or they may have a long term illness or disability.

Data used

Labour Force Survey, ONS, 4 quarters of 1999 and 2009;

Indicator last updated: 13 July 2010

Other indicators in Working-age adults

• Working Age Poverty
• Poverty in Inner and Outer London
• In-work poverty across England
• Working-age out-of-work benefits by region
• Working age out-of-work benefits by ward
• 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 by borough
• Young Adult Unemployment
• 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

View all indicators