Today Britain’s most ‘economically idle’ hotspots can be revealed, where more than half the adult population is out of work.
A whopping 19.1 million adults in England and Wales were “economically inactive” on census day 2021, the Office for National Statistics said.
The data means that about two-fifths, 39.4 percent, of those 16 and older were either without a job in the week before the population study or had not looked for one for a month before the census deadline, up from 36.7 percent in 2011.
But in some coastal areas, this rises to more than half the population. East Lindsey in Lincolnshire, which includes the coastal towns of Skegness and Mablethorpe, topped the chart, with 51.3 per cent of adults out of work.
North Norfolk was rated the second most economically inactive, at 51.1 percent. While Tendring, in north-east Essex, was in third place, with 50.3 per cent of the adult population out of work.
New figures have revealed where the most ‘economically inactive’ communities are in England and Wales
East Lindsey, in Lincolnshire, had the lowest level of economic inactivity with 51.3 percent of adults out of work, according to ONS data. Pictured: Skegness beach, which is within the borough of East Lindsey
The ONS study, released Thursday, found that coastal communities tended to have some of the highest rates of economic inactivity.
This was often related to those areas that had a higher proportion of pensioners or students, with 30.4 per cent of East Lindsey’s population being over 65, the third highest rate in England and Wales. The district also has the sixth lowest proportion of people between the ages of 15 and 65, at 55.9 percent.
Other reasons for inactivity are retirement, taking care of the home or a relative, disability and studies.
Nationally. Fifty-five percent of those classified as economically inactive, some 10.5 million people, were retired. While almost a third of those between the ages of 16 and 64 said that the main reason for their economic inactivity was because they were students.
The ONS said that about 19.1 percent of people claimed to be disabled or have a long-term illness. While 23.6 percent said they were in the care of their home or a relative.
The ONS study revealed that London had five of the lowest rates of economic activity. The ONS this was ‘probably’ because the area had more young people living there.
Next up was the Borough of Lambeth, followed by the City of London, which is home to the nation’s financial district, which is home to the London Stock Exchange and the Bank of England.
North Norfolk was rated the second most economically inactive location in England and Wales, according to the ONS. In the photo, the Cromer pier
These are the areas in England and Wales with the highest proportion of economically inactive adults, with East Lindsey topping the list.
Wandsworth, in London, had the most economically active adult population in England and Wales, followed by the neighboring City of London and Lambeth, also in the capital.
The city had the highest number of people aged 15-64 at 77.9%, with only 14% aged 65 and over. While the level of economic inactivity was only 29.1 percent. In Lambeth, it was even lower, at 26.7 percent.
In England, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester were the top three local authorities in terms of the number of economically inactive full-time students, while in Wales it was Cardiff, Swansea and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Slough had the highest number of people aged 16-64 looking after a household or family, at 35 per cent. While at the other end of the spectrum, in Exeter, Devon, it was just one in 10 (10.1 per cent)
The proportion of economically inactive people aged 16-64 looking after a home or family ranged from 35.0% in Slough to 1 in 10 (10.4%) in Exeter.
In England, Blackpool had the highest proportion of economically inactive people of working age who were ill or long-term disabled, almost a third (33.1 per cent).
By comparison, Oxford had the lowest ratio at 7.2 percent, partly because of its large student population, the ONS said.
In Wales, the proportion of economically inactive people of working age who were ill or long-term disabled ranged from 36.1% in Blaenau Gwent in the south-east to 16.9% in Ceredigion in the west.
