Economic activity rate

Economic activity measures whether or not a person is an active participant in the labour market – and includes both those employed and those out-of-work but actively seeking work.  In the Oct 2019-Sep 2020 twelve-month period (the most recent data), 

• 76.8 per cent of the 16-64 population in the North East LEP area was economically active  
• this was below the England and England excluding London rates but was the fourth highest among the eight core city LEPs
• the North East rate had increased by 2.3 percentage points since the same period in 2013/14
• this was higher than the percentage point increase across England and fourth highest among the eight core city LEP areas
• the North East rate was 0.5 percentage points higher than in the same period a year earlier, a larger increase than nationally

Within the North East, among local authority areas the economic activity rate ranged from 72.8 per cent in Newcastle upon Tyne to 81.5 per cent in North Tyneside. Among constituencies, the rate was highest in Blaydon and lowest in Newcastle upon Tyne Central. The rates are based on the resident population and cover a twelve-month period almost half of which was before the economy was affected by Covid-19.