Corporate Research briefing paper
July 2011 Job Seekers Allowance
Background
This report analyses the number of people who were in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance
(JSA) in July 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
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The claimant rate in Blackburn with Darwen (4.8%) is higher than the North West
rate (4.3%) and the national rate of 3.8%. All have increased over the last month.
The claimant rate of 4.8% for Blackburn with Darwen equates to a total of 4,204
people, 69.1% of whom are male.
The male claimant rate of 6.5% is approximately 2.2 times higher than the claimant
rate for females (3.0%)
Female claimant rates have increased by over a third compared to July 2010
In July 2011, 905 people started claiming JSA, and 795 stopped, this equates to
approximately 6% fewer people joining and 14% fewer leaving the claimant count
compared to the same month of the previous year. Compared to June 2011, offflows decreased by 12% while on-flows increased by 14%.
The majority of claimants (over a half, 55.2%) are aged 25-49; the majority of
claimants 70.2% have been receiving the benefit for 6 months or less.
Approximately 1 in 11 claim for over 12 months and are classed as ‘long term
unemployed’.
Long term claimants have increased by 7% since July 2010.
Ten wards within the borough have claimant rates higher than the Blackburn with
Darwen average.
Wensley Fold has a claimant rate of 8.6%. The claimant rate for Shadsworth with
Whitebirk is 8.4%.
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
2 Headline claimant rates
In July 2011, 4.8% of the working population in Blackburn with Darwen were claiming Job
Seekers Allowance (JSA), this is higher than the North West rate of 4.3% and the national
rate of 3.8%.
Table 1: Headline Claimant rate in Blackburn with Darwen July 2011.
Claimant rates by gender:
Total Claimants
Male Claimants
Area
N
Rate
N
Rate
Blackburn with Darwen
4,204
4.8
2,905
6.5
North West
190,696
4.3
130,141
5.8
Great Britain
1,481,158
3.8
984,471
5.0
Source: Claimant count, Nomis
Female claimants
N
Rate
1,299
3.0
60,555
2.7
496,687
2.5
The rate equates to a total of 4,204 people claiming JSA in the borough, this being made
up of 2,905 males and 1,299 females. Seven out of ten claimants are male. The claimant
rate of 6.5% for males is higher than the claimant rate for females (3.0%).
Figure 1 illustrates current JSA claimant rates by gender for July 2011.
Figure 1: Job Seekers Allowance Claimant Rate
Rate as a proportion of the 16-64 population
7
6
5
6.5
Blackburn with Darwen
North West
Great Britain
5.8
5
4.8
4
4.3
%
3.8
3
3
2
2.7
2.5
1
0
Male
Female
All People
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly
3. Trends
The July 2011 claimant rate shows that compared to the same month of the previous year,
claimants increased by approximately 14.3%, compared to June 2011 claimants
increased by 3.5%.
Table 2: Monthly and annual change in claimant rates
Claimant rates by gender:
Claimants July 2011 Monthly change Annual change
Area
N
Rate
+/+/- %
+/+/- %
Male
2,905
6.5
90
3.2
185
6.8
Female
1,299
3.0
54
4.3
340
35.5
Total
4,204
4.8
144
3.5
525
14.3
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, June 2011, shows an
increase for all groups, with the highest increase (4.3%) 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.
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly
May-11
Jul-11
Jul-08
Sep-08
Jul-06
Oct-06
Jan-07
Apr-07
Jul-07
Oct-07
Jan-08
Apr-08
Jul-08
Oct-08
Jan-09
Apr-09
Jul-09
Oct-09
Jan-10
Apr-10
Jul-10
Oct-10
Jan-11
Apr-11
Jul-11
0
Jan-11
Mar-11
Blackburn with Darwen
North West
Great Britain
1
On-Flow
Jul-10
Sep-10
Nov-10
2
Off-Flow
Jan-10
Mar-10
May-10
3
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly
4. On and off Flows
In July 2011, 905 people started claiming JSA, and 795 stopped, this equates to
approximately 6% fewer people joining and 14% fewer leaving the claimant count
compared to the same month of the previous year. Compared to June 2011, off-flows
decreased by 12% and on-flows increased 14%.
5. Age and duration of job seekers allowance claimants and claims
The graph below trends claimant rate by gender, as can be seen 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
Jul-11
May-11
Mar-11
Jan-11
Nov-10
Sep-10
Mar-10
Jan-10
Nov-09
Sep-09
Jul-09
May-09
Mar-09
Jan-09
Nov-08
Sep-08
Jul-08
0
Jul-10
%
Nov-08
Jan-09
4
Stock
Sep-09
Nov-09
5,000
4,500
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Rate: % of 16-64 population
5
May-10
6
Figure 3: On-flows and Off-flows to Claimant Count
Mar-09
May-09
Jul-09
Figure 2: Claimant Rate trends
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However while male claimant rates are higher than that for females, data for November
2010 to July 2011 show claimant rates for all groups to have increased, female claimants
increased by over a third (37.5%) and male claimants by 15.2%. the increase in claimants
regardless of gender was 21.3%
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)
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
Female
Male
All
Apr-11
Jun-11
Feb-11
Oct-10
Dec-10
Aug-10
Apr-10
Jun-10
Feb-10
Oct-09
Dec-09
Aug-09
Apr-09
Jun-09
Feb-09
Oct-08
Dec-08
Aug-08
Apr-08
Jun-08
Feb-08
Oct-07
Dec-07
Aug-07
Apr-07
Jun-07
Feb-07
Oct-06
Dec-06
Jun-06
Aug-06
0.0
The majority of claimants over a half (55.2%) 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 (70.2%)
have been receiving the benefit for 6 months or less. However 400 or approximately 1 in 11
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
July 2011.
Age of blackburn with Darwen JSA claimants
Claimants
Annual change
Age
N
%
+/+/- %
Aged 18-24
1,310
31.2
200
18.0
Aged 25-49
2,320
55.2
225
10.7
Aged 50+
570
13.6
105
22.6
Duration of Blackburn with Darwen JSA Claimants
Claimants
Duration
N
%
Up to 6 months
2,945
70.2
Over 6 months and up to 12 months
850
20.3
Over 12 months
400
9.5
+/310
185
25
Annual change
+/- %
11.8
27.8
6.7
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 an 18% increase in claimants in the 18-24 year age group since July 2010.
The 25-49 year age group increased by 10.7%. Claimants aged 50+ increased the most by
22.6%.
JSA Claimants by Age 2008-11
2500
18-24
25-49
50+
2000
1500
1000
500
Jul-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
Jul-08
Aug-08
0
In the medium term (November 2010-July 2011) claimants aged 25-49 increased by a
quarter (22.4%) over the period from 1,895 in November 2010 to 2,320 in July 2011. Those
aged 50+ increased by slightly more (26.7%).
6. Long term claimants (over 12 months)
People claiming JSA for 12 months or more are classed as long term unemployed. There
are currently 400 long term claimants in Blackburn with Darwen, approximately 1 in 11 of
all claimants. Those claiming for 12 months or more have increased by 6.7% since July
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 12%, (2,640 in November 2010
to 2,945 in July 2011). Those claiming for 6-12 months increased by over a half (58.9%) and
long term claimants increased by 40.4%.
JSA Claimants by Duration 2008-11
3,500
<= 6
6-12
12+
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
Jul-11
May-11
Mar-11
Jan-11
Nov-10
Sep-10
Jul-10
May-10
Mar-10
Jan-10
Nov-09
Sep-09
Jul-09
May-09
Mar-09
Jan-09
Nov-08
Sep-08
Jul-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 1,310 young claimants aged 18-24 in Blackburn with Darwen (31.2% 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
Jul-11
Apr-11
Jan-11
Oct-10
Jul-10
Apr-10
Jan-10
Oct-09
Jul-09
Apr-09
Jan-09
Oct-08
Jul-08
Apr-08
Jan-08
Oct-07
Jul-07
Jan-07
Oct-06
Jul-06
0
Apr-07
2
87.8% of claimants aged 18-24 were claiming for six months or less.
18-24 year olds claiming for six months or less increased by 16% over the year
while those claiming for 6-12 months increased by 40%.
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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
Jul-11
May-11
Mar-11
Jan-11
Nov-10
Sep-10
Jul-10
May-10
Mar-10
Jan-10
Nov-09
Sep-09
Jul-09
May-09
Mar-09
Jan-09
Nov-08
Sep-08
Jul-08
0
Those aged 50+ make up 1 in 7 of all JSA claimants. Over a half of all 50+ claimants
(55.3%) are aged 50-54 and 37.7% are aged 55-59. In total these two sub-groups make up
93.0% of all the 50+ claimants. A small minority are aged 60 or over.
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JSA Claimants aged 50+
Age
50-54
55-59
60 or over
Claimants
N
%
315
55.3%
215
37.7%
40
7.0%
Annual change
+/+/- %
90
40.0%
5
2.4%
10
33.3%
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 40% while those aged 55-59
increased by 2.4%.
Taking a medium term view, the period from November 2010-July 2011 shows that
claimants aged 50-54 increased by over a quarter, claimants aged 60+ doubled from 20
in November 2010 to 40 by the end of July 2011, a 100% increase. Claimant aged 55-59
increased by a fifth.
(NB, the percentage change for 60+ is based on small numbers).
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9. Job seekers allowance claimant rates across Blackburn with Darwen wards.
Rate
Claimants
Annual
Change
Monthly
change
Audley
6.3
317
3.9%
2.9%
Bastwell
5.8
265
12.8%
-1.5%
Beardwood with Lammack
1.6
58
0.0%
26.1%
Corporation Park
5.0
210
37.3%
11.1%
Earcroft
4.2
113
-9.6%
-4.2%
East Rural
0.8
10
-9.1%
-23.1%
Ewood
6.1
249
17.5%
5.1%
Fernhurst
2.0
80
31.1%
8.1%
Higher Croft
4.8
227
-8.1%
-8.1%
Little Harwood
5.2
201
30.5%
8.6%
Livesey with Pleasington
1.7
69
7.8%
-5.5%
Marsh House
3.3
134
25.2%
3.9%
Meadowhead
4.8
165
17.0%
7.1%
Mill Hill
6.3
259
7.9%
-2.3%
North Turton with Tockholes
1.1
30
-14.3%
-11.8%
Queen's Park
6.0
218
24.6%
4.3%
Roe Lee
2.9
104
14.3%
6.1%
Shadsworth with Whitebirk
8.4
412
7.0%
6.5%
Shear Brow
4.7
216
23.4%
4.9%
Sudell
6.9
283
15.0%
4.4%
Sunnyhurst
3.8
141
39.6%
2.2%
Wensley Fold
8.6
372
21.2%
7.2%
Whitehall
2.7
70
37.3%
11.1%
14.2%
3.5%
July 2011
Total
4.8
4,203
Source: Claimant counts, www.nomisweb.co.uk
Updated: Monthly

Three wards with the highest claimant rates are Wensley Fold (8.6%), Shadsworth
with Whitebirk (8.4%) and Sudell (6.9%).

Wards with annual increase of 30% or more include Sunnyhurst 39.6%, Corporation
Park (37.3%), Whitehall (37.3%), Fernhurst (31.1%) and Little Harwood (30.5%).

Wards with a decrease in the claimant count include North Turton with Tockholes
(-14.3%), Earcroft (-9.6%) and East Rural (-9.1%)
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).