Unemployment Claimant Count
The Claimant Count counts the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance plus those who claim Universal Credit and are required to seek work and be available for work. It is a measure of the number of people claiming ‘out-of-work’ related benefits. Not all those who are unemployed claim benefits. This is largely due to people finding new work very quickly or having other sources of financial support at home. In addition, not all those counted within the Claimant Count are unemployed (some are working a low number of hours and/or are earning a low income). Whilst the Claimant Count is not a measure of unemployment, it is a useful proxy at the local level.
