"To be and to feel economically secure is to live with dignity, to be able to seize opportunities and to have a sense of hope for the future. That requires sufficient and predictable resources, of income and wealth, in relation to the costs and burdens of life. But it also rests on secure work and a secure home, on education, on good health, and on support and time for caring. It is sustained by relationships of family, friends and community." — Graeme Cooke, Director of Insight and Policy, JRF.

This is the Economic Insecurity spotlight page for Oldham.

Population claiming Universal Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance

Proportion of the population living in fuel poverty

Poverty index

This map shows the result of creating a poverty index for economic insecurity by combining a number of leading indicators of poverty into a single number in the range 0 to 1. A score closer to 0 means that the model is suggesting lower levels of economic insecurity in this area.

1 - Very High
0.75 - High
0.5 - Average
0.25 - Low
0 - Very Low
Alexandra 0.514Chadderton Central 0.514Chadderton North 0.514Chadderton South 0.514Coldhurst 0.514Crompton 0.514Failsworth East 0.514Failsworth West 0.514Hollinwood 0.514Medlock Vale 0.514Royton North 0.514Royton South 0.514Saddleworth North 0.514Saddleworth South 0.514Saddleworth West and Lees 0.514St James' 0.514St Mary's 0.514Shaw 0.514Waterhead 0.514Werneth 0.514

Key indicators

The following analysis reflects the experience across the population of Oldham.

Rates of unemployment and economic inactivity over time

Unemployment rate
Economic inactivity rate
YearJun 2005Jun 2008Jun 2011Jun 2014Jun 2017Jun 2020Jun 2023% of population01015202530355Unemployment rate 2004-12-01: 5.1Unemployment rate 2005-03-01: 4.9Unemployment rate 2005-06-01: 4Unemployment rate 2005-09-01: 4Unemployment rate 2005-12-01: 4Unemployment rate 2006-03-01: 4Unemployment rate 2006-06-01: 5.1Unemployment rate 2006-09-01: 5.4Unemployment rate 2006-12-01: 5.9Unemployment rate 2007-03-01: 6Unemployment rate 2007-06-01: 6.3Unemployment rate 2007-09-01: 7.7Unemployment rate 2007-12-01: 9.3Unemployment rate 2008-03-01: 10.4Unemployment rate 2008-06-01: 9.7Unemployment rate 2008-09-01: 9.9Unemployment rate 2008-12-01: 9.5Unemployment rate 2009-03-01: 9.5Unemployment rate 2009-06-01: 9.6Unemployment rate 2009-09-01: 8.7Unemployment rate 2009-12-01: 9.3Unemployment rate 2010-03-01: 9Unemployment rate 2010-06-01: 9.2Unemployment rate 2010-09-01: 10.2Unemployment rate 2010-12-01: 10.2Unemployment rate 2011-03-01: 10.3Unemployment rate 2011-06-01: 10.1Unemployment rate 2011-09-01: 10.6Unemployment rate 2011-12-01: 10.7Unemployment rate 2012-03-01: 10.4Unemployment rate 2012-06-01: 11Unemployment rate 2012-09-01: 10.6Unemployment rate 2012-12-01: 9.9Unemployment rate 2013-03-01: 9.8Unemployment rate 2013-06-01: 9.4Unemployment rate 2013-09-01: 8.6Unemployment rate 2013-12-01: 9.1Unemployment rate 2014-03-01: 8.9Unemployment rate 2014-06-01: 9.5Unemployment rate 2014-09-01: 9.9Unemployment rate 2014-12-01: 10Unemployment rate 2015-03-01: 10.1Unemployment rate 2015-06-01: 9.5Unemployment rate 2015-09-01: 9.9Unemployment rate 2015-12-01: 8.3Unemployment rate 2016-03-01: 8.2Unemployment rate 2016-06-01: 7.5Unemployment rate 2016-09-01: 7.2Unemployment rate 2016-12-01: 7.3Unemployment rate 2017-03-01: 7.6Unemployment rate 2017-06-01: 7.4Unemployment rate 2017-09-01: 6.2Unemployment rate 2017-12-01: 6Unemployment rate 2018-03-01: 5.1Unemployment rate 2018-06-01: 4.8Unemployment rate 2018-09-01: 5.2Unemployment rate 2018-12-01: 5.2Unemployment rate 2019-03-01: 4.9Unemployment rate 2019-06-01: 5.1Unemployment rate 2019-09-01: 4.6Unemployment rate 2019-12-01: 3.6Unemployment rate 2020-03-01: 3.7Unemployment rate 2020-06-01: 3.6Unemployment rate 2020-09-01: 3.5Unemployment rate 2020-12-01: 5.2Unemployment rate 2021-03-01: 6.2Unemployment rate 2021-06-01: 5.8Unemployment rate 2021-09-01: 5.2Unemployment rate 2021-12-01: 4.5Unemployment rate 2022-03-01: 4.2Unemployment rate 2022-06-01: 4Unemployment rate 2022-09-01: 3.6Unemployment rate 2022-12-01: 3.1Unemployment rate 2023-03-01: 2.5Unemployment rate 2023-06-01: 2.3Economic inactivity rate 2004-12-01: 26.3Economic inactivity rate 2005-03-01: 26.3Economic inactivity rate 2005-06-01: 24.6Economic inactivity rate 2005-09-01: 24.5Economic inactivity rate 2005-12-01: 23.7Economic inactivity rate 2006-03-01: 24.3Economic inactivity rate 2006-06-01: 25.9Economic inactivity rate 2006-09-01: 27.2Economic inactivity rate 2006-12-01: 27.8Economic inactivity rate 2007-03-01: 28.7Economic inactivity rate 2007-06-01: 28.1Economic inactivity rate 2007-09-01: 27Economic inactivity rate 2007-12-01: 26.1Economic inactivity rate 2008-03-01: 27Economic inactivity rate 2008-06-01: 27.3Economic inactivity rate 2008-09-01: 27.6Economic inactivity rate 2008-12-01: 28.3Economic inactivity rate 2009-03-01: 27.4Economic inactivity rate 2009-06-01: 27.4Economic inactivity rate 2009-09-01: 27.2Economic inactivity rate 2009-12-01: 27.8Economic inactivity rate 2010-03-01: 26Economic inactivity rate 2010-06-01: 25.6Economic inactivity rate 2010-09-01: 26.1Economic inactivity rate 2010-12-01: 25.3Economic inactivity rate 2011-03-01: 26.3Economic inactivity rate 2011-06-01: 27.7Economic inactivity rate 2011-09-01: 28Economic inactivity rate 2011-12-01: 27.5Economic inactivity rate 2012-03-01: 28.5Economic inactivity rate 2012-06-01: 27.7Economic inactivity rate 2012-09-01: 27.5Economic inactivity rate 2012-12-01: 28.2Economic inactivity rate 2013-03-01: 28.5Economic inactivity rate 2013-06-01: 28Economic inactivity rate 2013-09-01: 27.6Economic inactivity rate 2013-12-01: 27.1Economic inactivity rate 2014-03-01: 26.9Economic inactivity rate 2014-06-01: 28.1Economic inactivity rate 2014-09-01: 28.8Economic inactivity rate 2014-12-01: 29.2Economic inactivity rate 2015-03-01: 30.5Economic inactivity rate 2015-06-01: 28.9Economic inactivity rate 2015-09-01: 29.6Economic inactivity rate 2015-12-01: 29.3Economic inactivity rate 2016-03-01: 27Economic inactivity rate 2016-06-01: 27Economic inactivity rate 2016-09-01: 26.3Economic inactivity rate 2016-12-01: 26Economic inactivity rate 2017-03-01: 26.9Economic inactivity rate 2017-06-01: 26.5Economic inactivity rate 2017-09-01: 26.7Economic inactivity rate 2017-12-01: 28.4Economic inactivity rate 2018-03-01: 28.3Economic inactivity rate 2018-06-01: 29.9Economic inactivity rate 2018-09-01: 29.9Economic inactivity rate 2018-12-01: 28.8Economic inactivity rate 2019-03-01: 28.4Economic inactivity rate 2019-06-01: 27.8Economic inactivity rate 2019-09-01: 28.8Economic inactivity rate 2019-12-01: 26.8Economic inactivity rate 2020-03-01: 26.4Economic inactivity rate 2020-06-01: 26.9Economic inactivity rate 2020-09-01: 25Economic inactivity rate 2020-12-01: 25.4Economic inactivity rate 2021-03-01: 26.2Economic inactivity rate 2021-06-01: 26.3Economic inactivity rate 2021-09-01: 27Economic inactivity rate 2021-12-01: 32.3Economic inactivity rate 2022-03-01: 30.7Economic inactivity rate 2022-06-01: 27.7Economic inactivity rate 2022-09-01: 25.7Economic inactivity rate 2022-12-01: 24Economic inactivity rate 2023-03-01: 23.8Economic inactivity rate 2023-06-01: 23.1

Demographic breakdown

Poverty can disproportionately affect certain groups. This section presents analysis of Economic Insecurity with a focus on demographics.

Gender pay gap in different types of work

Median gap (%)
Mean gap (%)
-12-3-6-9012369Part-TimeFull-TimeAllMedian gap (%) All: 5.3Median gap (%) Full-Time: 1.7Median gap (%) Part-Time: -3.8Mean gap (%) All: 9.8Mean gap (%) Full-Time: 9.1Mean gap (%) Part-Time: -11.6

See also the briefing by JRF for Economic security.