Corporate Research briefing paper
August 2011 Job Seekers Allowance
Background
This report analyses the number of people who were in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance
(JSA) in August 2011.
The unemployment figures presented in this insight are published by the Office for National
Statistics (ONS) each month. Claimant unemployment percentages are calculated by
dividing the number of claimants by the number of local authority area residents aged 1664. This claimant count measure was introduced in January 2003 and replaced the
previous measure based on workforce rates.
Unemployment is often measured by the uptake of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) benefit.
This takes into account those who are unemployed and seeking employment but not
people who are unemployed and not seeking work.
NB: The population figures used to calculate residence-based proportions (rates) have changed
from working age (16-59f/64m) to aged 16-64 for both males and females. This change affects
rates for all dates. So rates for all dates will differ to those downloaded previously.
1. Summary










The claimant rate in Blackburn with Darwen (4.9%) is higher than the North West
rate (4.4%) and the national rate of 3.9%. All have increased over the last month.
The claimant rate of 4.9% for Blackburn with Darwen equates to a total of 4,341
people, 68.9% of whom are male.
The male claimant rate of 6.7% is approximately 2.2 times higher than the claimant
rate for females (3.1%)
Female claimant rates have increased by over a third compared to August 2010
In August 2011, 937 people started claiming JSA, and 793 stopped, this equates to
approximately 24% fewer people joining and a third fewer leaving the claimant
count compared to the same month of the previous year. Compared to July 2011,
off-flows decreased by less than 0.5% while on-flows increased by 3.5%.
The majority of claimants (over a half, 54.7%) are aged 25-49; the majority of
claimants 69.0% have been receiving the benefit for 6 months or less.
Approximately 1 in 10 claim for over 12 months and are classed as ‘long term
unemployed’.
Long term claimants have increased by 15% since August 2010.
Eleven wards within the borough have claimant rates higher than the Blackburn
with Darwen average.
Shadsworth with Whitebirk has a claimant rate of 8.8%. The claimant rate for
Wensley Fold is 8.7%.
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
2 Headline claimant rates
In August 2011, 4.9% of the working population in Blackburn with Darwen were claiming
Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), this is higher than the North West rate of 4.4% and the
national rate of 3.9%.
Table 1: Headline Claimant rate in Blackburn with Darwen August 2011.
Claimant rates by gender:
Total Claimants
Male Claimants
Female claimants
Area
N
Rate
N
Rate
N
Rate
Blackburn with Darwen
4,341
4.9
2,993
6.7
1,348
3.1
North West
195,886
4.4
132,581
5.9
63,305
2.8
Great Britain
1,515,030
3.9
999,151
5.1
515,879
2.6
Source: Claimant count, Nomis
The rate equates to a total of 4,341 people claiming JSA in the borough, this being made
up of 2,993 males and 1,348 females. Seven out of ten claimants are male. The claimant
rate of 6.7% for males is higher than the claimant rate for females (3.1%).
Figure 1 illustrates current JSA claimant rates by gender for August 2011.
Figure 1: Job Seekers Allowance Claimant Rate
Rate as a proportion of the 16-64 population
8
7
6
5
Blackburn with Darwen
North West
Great Britain
6.7
5.9
5.1
4.9
%4
4.4
3.9
3
3.1
2
2.8
2.6
1
0
Male
Female
All People
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly
3. Trends
The August 2011 claimant rate shows that compared to the same month of the previous
year, claimants increased by approximately 16.6%, compared to July 2011 claimants
increased by 3.3%.
Table 2: Monthly and annual change in claimant rates
Claimant rates by gender:
Claimants August 2011 Monthly change Annual change
Area
N
Rate
+/+/- %
+/+/- %
Male
2,993
6.7
88
3.0
267
9.8
Female
1,348
3.1
49
3.8
352
35.3
Total
4,341
4.9
137
3.3
619
16.6
Source: Jobcentre Plus, Nomis
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).

The percentage change over the previous month, July 2011, shows an
increase for all groups, with the highest increase (3.8%) registered by female
claimants.

The annual change shows a third MORE female claimants.
As illustrated in figure 2, the JSA claimant rate in Blackburn with Darwen has historically
been higher than the North West and Great Britain rate.
Figure 2: Claimant Rate trends
Figure 3: On-flows and Off-flows to Claimant Count
1,500
6
Rate: % of 16-64 population
1,000
5
500
4
0
% 3
-500
2
Blackburn with Darwen
North West
Great Britain
1
-1,000
On-Flow
Net diff (on-off)
-1,500
Off-Flow
Aug-06
Nov-06
Feb-07
May-07
Aug-07
Nov-07
Feb-08
May-08
Aug-08
Nov-08
Feb-09
May-09
Aug-09
Nov-09
Feb-10
May-10
Aug-10
Nov-10
Feb-11
May-11
Aug-11
Jan-08
Feb-08
Mar-08
Apr-08
May-08
Jun-08
Jul-08
Aug-08
Sep-08
Oct-08
Nov-08
Dec-08
Jan-09
Feb-09
Mar-09
Apr-09
May-09
Jun-09
Jul-09
Aug-09
Sep-09
Oct-09
Nov-09
Dec-09
Jan-10
Feb-10
Mar-10
Apr-10
May-10
Jun-10
Jul-10
Aug-10
Sep-10
Oct-10
Nov-10
Dec-10
Jan-11
Feb-11
Mar-11
Apr-11
May-11
Jun-11
Jul-11
Aug-11
0
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly
4. On and off Flows
In August 2011, 937 people started claiming JSA, and 793 stopped, this equates to
approximately 24% fewer people joining and a third fewer leaving the claimant count
compared to the same month of the previous year. Compared to July 2011, off-flows
decreased by < 0.5% and on-flows increased 3.5%.
5. Age and duration of job seekers allowance claimants and claims
The graph below trends claimant rate by gender, as can be seen the claimant rates for
males is higher than that for females.
JSA Claimants by Gender 2008-11
5,000
All
4,500
Male
Female
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
Aug-11
Jun-11
Apr-11
Feb-11
Dec-10
Oct-10
Aug-10
Jun-10
Apr-10
Feb-10
Dec-09
Oct-09
Aug-09
Jun-09
Apr-09
Feb-09
Dec-08
Oct-08
Aug-08
0
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
However while male claimant rates are higher than that for females, data for November
2010 to August 2011 show claimant rates for all groups to have increased, female
claimants increased by 42.6% and male claimants by 18.7%. The increase in claimants
regardless of gender was 25.2%
The graph below shows claimant count figures by gender indexed to January 2006, it can
be seen that female claimant count rate rose sharply after February 2008 and has
increased at a faster rate than that for males and continues to be at a higher level than
for males. It is important to note the sharp increase in female claimants over the last few
months.
Claimant Count Index
(January 06=100)
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
Female
Male
All
Aug-11
May-11
Feb-11
Nov-10
Aug-10
May-10
Feb-10
Nov-09
Aug-09
May-09
Feb-09
Nov-08
Aug-08
Feb-08
May-08
Nov-07
Aug-07
May-07
Feb-07
Aug-06
Nov-06
May-06
Feb-06
0.0
The majority of claimants over a half (54.7%) are between the ages of 25-49, i.e. 25-49 year
olds make up the largest category or JSA claimants. The majority of claimants (69.0%)
have been receiving the benefit for 6 months or less. However 420 or approximately 1 in 10
claim for over 12 months and are classed as ‘long term unemployed’.
Table 1: Age and duration of job seekers allowance claimants in Blackburn with Darwen
August 2011.
Age of blackburn with Darwen JSA claimants
Claimants
Annual change
Age
N
%
+/+/- %
Aged 18-24
1400
32.3
210
17.6
Aged 25-49
2370
54.7
300
14.5
Aged 50+
565
13.0
115
25.6
Duration of Blackburn with Darwen JSA Claimants
Claimants
Duration
N
%
Up to 6 months
2,995
69.0
Over 6 months and up to 12 months
925
21.3
Over 12 months
420
9.7
+/295
275
55
Annual change
+/- %
10.9
42.3
15.1
Figures rounded up or down
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
There has been a 17.6% increase in claimants in the 18-24 year age group since August
2010. The 25-49 year age group increased by 14.5%. Claimants aged 50+ increased the
most by 25.6%.
JSA Claimants by Age 2008-11
2500
18-24
25-49
50+
2000
1500
1000
500
Jul-11
Aug-11
Jun-11
Apr-11
May-11
Feb-11
Mar-11
Jan-11
Dec-10
Oct-10
Nov-10
Sep-10
Jul-10
Aug-10
Jun-10
Apr-10
May-10
Feb-10
Mar-10
Jan-10
Dec-09
Oct-09
Nov-09
Sep-09
Jul-09
Aug-09
Jun-09
Apr-09
May-09
Feb-09
Mar-09
Jan-09
Dec-08
Oct-08
Nov-08
Sep-08
Aug-08
0
In the medium term, (November 2010-August 2011) claimants in all age groups increased
by a quarter.
6. Long term claimants (over 12 months)
People claiming JSA for 12 months or more are classed as long term unemployed. There
are currently 420 long term claimants in Blackburn with Darwen, approximately 1 in 10 of
all claimants. Those claiming for 12 months or more have increased by 15.1% since August
2010.
As with the other indicators, in the medium term there has been an upturn in the number
of claimants claiming for less than six months, increasing by 13.4%, (2,640 in November
2010 to 2,995 in August 2011). Those claiming for 6-12 months increased by 72.9% and long
term claimants increased by nearly a half (47.4%).
JSA Claimants by Duration 2008-11
3,500
<= 6
6-12
12+
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
Aug-11
Jun-11
Apr-11
Feb-11
Dec-10
Oct-10
Aug-10
Jun-10
Apr-10
Feb-10
Dec-09
Oct-09
Aug-09
Jun-09
Apr-09
Feb-09
Dec-08
Oct-08
Aug-08
0
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
7. Youth unemployment (aged 18-24)
There are currently 1,400 young claimants aged 18-24 in Blackburn with Darwen (A third of
all claimants). As shown by the graph below the JSA claimant rate for 18-24 year olds is
historically higher than the regional and national average, all show an increase in the
claimant rate over the last month.
18-24 claimant rate
Blackburn with Darwen
North West
Great Britain
12
10
8
6
4
Aug-11
May-11
Feb-11
Nov-10
Aug-10
May-10
Feb-10
Nov-09
Aug-09
May-09
Feb-09
Nov-08
Aug-08
May-08
Feb-08
Nov-07
Aug-07
May-07
Feb-07
Nov-06
0
Aug-06
2
85.4% of claimants aged 18-24 were claiming for six months or less.
18-24 year olds claiming for six months or less increased by 11.7% over the year
while those claiming for 6-12 months increased by 74%.


8. Claimants aged 50+
Over 50+ JSA Claimants 2008-11
50+
Aged 60 and ov er
Aged 55-59
Aged 50-54
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
Aug-11
Jun-11
Apr-11
Feb-11
Dec-10
Oct-10
Aug-10
Jun-10
Apr-10
Feb-10
Dec-09
Oct-09
Aug-09
Jun-09
Apr-09
Feb-09
Dec-08
Oct-08
Aug-08
0
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
Those aged 50+ make up 1 in 8 of all JSA claimants. Over a half of all 50+ claimants
(55.8%) are aged 50-54 and 36.3% are aged 55-59. In total these two sub-groups make up
92.0% of all the 50+ claimants. A small minority are aged 60 or over.
JSA Claimants aged 50+
Age
50-54
55-59
60 or over
Claimants
N
%
315
55.8%
205
36.3%
45
8.0%
Annual change
+/+/- %
100
46.5%
15
50%
Figures rounded up or down
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly
Over the longer term 50-54 year old claimants increased by nearly a half, there is no
change in claimants aged 55-59. Those aged over 60 increased by a half.
Taking a medium term view, the period from November 2010-August 2011 shows that
claimants aged 50-54 increased by over a quarter, claimants aged 60+ doubled from 20
in November 2010 to 45 by the end of August 2011, a 125% increase. Claimant aged 55-59
increased by 14%.
(NB, the percentage change for 60+ is based on small numbers).
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
9. Job seekers allowance claimant rates across Blackburn with Darwen wards.
August 2011
Rate
Claimants
Annual
Change
Monthly
change
Audley
6.4
319
3.9%
0.6%
Bastwell
6.2
282
20.5%
6.4%
Beardwood with Lammack
1.8
65
22.6%
12.1%
Corporation Park
5.3
223
42.9%
6.2%
Earcroft
4.5
120
-5.5%
6.2%
East Rural
1.0
12
-36.8%
20.0%
Ewood
6.1
249
10.7%
0.0%
Fernhurst
1.8
75
23.0%
-6.3%
Higher Croft
5.2
247
-4.3%
8.8%
Little Harwood
5.0
193
26.1%
-4.0%
Livesey with Pleasington
1.8
73
10.6%
5.8%
Marsh House
3.4
135
55.2%
0.7%
Meadowhead
4.8
166
14.5%
0.6%
Mill Hill
6.0
246
6.0%
-5.0%
North Turton with Tockholes
1.0
28
-28.2%
-6.7%
Queen's Park
6.5
234
19.4%
7.3%
Roe Lee
2.9
105
12.9%
1.0%
Shadsworth with Whitebirk
8.8
434
17.3%
5.3%
Shear Brow
4.9
225
23.0%
4.2%
Sudell
7.8
319
28.1%
12.7%
Sunnyhurst
3.8
141
60.2%
0.0%
Wensley Fold
8.7
377
19.7%
1.3%
Whitehall
2.7
72
9.1%
2.9%
16.6%
3.3%
Total
4.9
4,340
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly

Three wards with the highest claimant rates are Shadsworth with Whitebirk (8.8%),
Wensley Fold (8.7%) and Sudell (7.8%).

Wards with annual increase of 30% or more include Sunnyhurst 60.2%, Marsh House
(55.2%) and Corporation Park (42.9%).

Wards with a decrease in the claimant count include East Rural (-36.8%)North Turton
with Tockholes (-28.2%) and Higher Croft (-4.3%)
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
Further information
This briefing was prepared by: Saeed Patel
Research and Intelligence Officer
Corporate Research Joint Intelligence
3rd Floor Old Town Hall
saeed.patel@blackburn.gov.uk
01254 58(5106)
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).