North East LEP reaction to ONS regional labour market statistics

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Chief Executive, Helen Golightly OBE, has commented on today’s regional labour market statistics, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The release includes quarterly data for the North East region for the three-month period March to May 2023. The region includes the North East LEP area and Tees Valley.

Helen Golightly OBE, Chief Executive of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP), said:

“These figures show a continuation of the good news from last month, with our region’s unemployment rate falling at the fastest rate in the country, and remaining below the UK average, while our economic inactivity rate is also falling. All together this means there are nearly 55,000 more people in work in the region than a year ago.

“Our employment rate is still low, but improvement has meant it now matches that of London at 74.5% of the working age population, while our unemployment rate is the joint third lowest in England, matching the North West and beaten only by the South West and the East Midlands.

“But, it’s important for us to remember these headline figures are just a snapshot and there is plenty of work still to be done. While our employment rate for women matches the English average, employment amongst North East men is far below average. Equally, despite the progress we’ve made, our economic inactivity figure is still the highest in England.

“A tight labour market with low unemployment also brings different challenges for employers, and can make it difficult to find the right talent for their teams. At the LEP we’ll stay focused on working with our partners to deliver more and better jobs across the region, because it’s only through that collaboration and laser focus that we can improve the environment for businesses in the region.

“We need to work together to get people back into the labour market, and address big issues like skills shortages, the health of our workforce, and unlocking the economic potential of the pursuit of net zero.”