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- 1. Navigate to Main facts and figures section
- 2. Navigate toPeople claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance by ethnicity section
- 3. Navigate toPeople claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity over time section
- 4. Navigate toPeople claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity and area section
- 5. Navigate to Methodology section
- 6. Navigate to Data sources section
- 7. Navigate to Download the data section
1. Main facts and figures
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in 2015, in England and Wales as a whole, a smaller percentage of White people (1.5%) claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) than the percentage of people from all other ethnic groups (2.3%)
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in all but 2 regions in 2015, the percentage of people from all other ethnic groups claiming JSA was greater than that of White people; in Wales the percentages were similar and in the North East the percentage of White claimants was higher
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the percentage of people from all other ethnic groups claiming JSA was lowest in the South East (1.1%); for White people it was lowest in the South West and South East (1%)
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the North East had the highest percentage of White people claiming JSA (2.7%), and the West Midlands had the highest percentage of people from all other ethnic groups claiming JSA (3.4%)
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for 2015, percentages for White claimants and claimants from all other ethnic groups are underestimates, as for 5.6% of JSA claimants ethnicity was unrecorded, so these claimants were not included in the data
Things you need to know
The population figures used for this data are estimates based on the 2011 Census held in England and Wales.
The Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimant figures are based on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) administrative data. They are the average number of claimants per month in each year. They exclude claims where the claimants' application details only exist on paper, not on a centralised computer system. Applications may not be on the system for a variety of reasons, such as missing or incomplete information. These are known as ‘non-computerised clerical claims’, and make up approximately 1% of all claims.
The 2011 Census does not include an option for people who prefer not to state their ethnicity, while JSA claimants can choose not to do so. As a result, the figures shown for White and all other ethnic groups may be lower than the actual totals because figures for unreported ethnicity are not included in those groups. In 2015, ethnicity was unreported for 5.6% of JSA claimants.
Figures for 'All' ethnic groups do include JSA claimants whose ethnicity is unreported, so the sum of White and all other ethnic groups does not equal the total for all claimants.
What the data measures
This data measures the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) as a percentage of the total working-age population.
A person who is working age (aged 16 to 64 years) can usually claim JSA if they:
- are available for work
- are actively seeking work
- work on average less than 16 hours per week
- are not in full-time education
- meet certain conditions if they are aged 16 to 17 years
The figures come from Department for Work and Pensions administrative data and population estimates based on the 2011 Census held in England and Wales.
As Universal Credit replaces income-related JSA, the number of JSA claimants will fall.
The ethnic categories used in this data
Two different sources were used for these figures: Department for Work and Pensions administrative data and population estimates based on the 2011 Census. These data sources don’t collect ethnicity information in the same way and, as a result, the figures cannot be split into detailed ethnic categories.
Therefore, the data is broken down into the following 2 broad groups:
- White – White ethnic groups (including White British and White ethnic minorities)
- Other – all other ethnic minorities
People whose ethnicity is 'Unreported' (because their ethnicity was not recorded or they chose not to state their ethnicity) are counted in measurements for ‘All’ groups, such as all people in employment. However they are not counted where data is broken down by White and Other.
2. People claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance by ethnicity
| Ethnicity | % | Number of claimants |
|---|---|---|
| All | 1.7 | 622,840 |
| White | 1.5 | 458,605 |
| Other | 2.3 | 129,245 |
Download table data for ‘People claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance by ethnicity’ (CSV) Source data for ‘People claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance by ethnicity’ (CSV)
Summary of People claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance People claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance by ethnicity Summary
This data shows that:
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in 2015, a smaller percentage of White people (1.5%) claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance than the percentage of people from all other ethnic groups (2.3%)
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percentages for White claimants and claimants from all other ethnic groups in this period are underestimates, as for 5.6% of JSA claimants ethnicity was unrecorded, so these claimants have not been included in the data
3. People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity over time
| Ethnicity | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |
| White | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Other | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 2.3 |
Download table data for ‘People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity over time’ (CSV) Source data for ‘People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity over time’ (CSV)
Summary of People claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity over time Summary
This data shows that:
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from 2012 to 2015, the percentage of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) fell each year for both the White group and all other ethnic groups
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from 2011 to 2015, the percentage of White people claiming JSA was consistently lower than the percentage of people from all other ethnic groups
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the gap between the percentage of White people and the percentage of people from all other ethnic groups claiming JSA narrowed each year from 2012 to 2015, and was 0.8 percentage points in 2015
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for 2011 to 2015, the percentages for White claimants and claimants from all other ethnic groups are underestimates, as for between 5% and 6% of JSA claimants ethnicity was unrecorded, so these claimants have not been included in the data
4. People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity and area
| Ethnicity | All | East | East Midlands | London | North East | North West | South East | South West | Wales | West Midlands | Yorkshire and The Humber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| White | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
| Other | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
Download table data for ‘People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity and area’ (CSV) Source data for ‘People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity and area’ (CSV)
Summary of People claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by ethnicity and area Summary
This data shows that:
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across most regions in England in 2015, the percentage of people from all other ethnic groups claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) was greater than the percentage of White people claiming JSA
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in Wales, the percentage of people claiming JSA was similar for both White and all other ethnic groups, at 2.2%
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in the North East, the percentage of White people claiming JSA was higher (2.7%) than the percentage of people from all other ethnic groups (2.5%)
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percentages for White claimants and claimants from all other ethnic groups in this period are underestimates, as for 5.6% of JSA claimants ethnicity was unrecorded, so these claimants have not been included in the data
5. Methodology
The population counts (the denominators) are estimates based on the 2011 England and Wales Census.
Claimant figures used are the average number of claimants per month in each year. (Mid-year or end-year counts would give different percentages because of fluctuations in the JSA claimant count across the year.)
The number of people claiming JSA has been drawn from administrative datasets held by the Department for Work and Pensions. JSA claimant counts are published monthly.
Rounding
JSA claimant counts are rounded to the nearest 5. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 0.1%.
Related publications
Jobseeker's Allowance stocks and flows by ethnicity, age and duration
6. Data sources
Source
Type of data
Survey data
Type of statistic
National Statistics
Publisher
Office for National Statistics
Publication frequency
Every 10 years
Purpose of data source
The Census takes place every 10 years. Census data gives the government the information it needs to plan and run public services. It is also used as a benchmark for other statistical estimates, and can help illustrate differences between various groups in the population.
Secondary source
Type of data
Administrative and survey data
Type of statistic
Official statistics
Publisher
Department for Work and Pensions
Publication frequency
Quarterly
Purpose of data source
Jobseeker’s Allowance Claimant Count is used to produce published statistics.
Population counts are collected for the England and Wales Census held every 10 years.
7. Download the data
This file contains the following: year, region, ethnicity, numerator, denominator and rate.