"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 North East.

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
County Durham 0.453South Tyneside 0.688Sunderland 0.532Gateshead 0.490

How to interpret the index

In the context of this model, a value closer to 1 indicates that a given place tends to rank higher relative to other places in metrics that we have identified as contributing to economic insecurity. This does not necessarily mean that you are more likely to experience poverty in those places, however.

How we calculate the index

The highest and lowest values will score 1 and 0, respectively, and everything else will fall somewhere in between. We create an average index across 6 metrics

This is a proof of concept. You can see the code and read more about the logic to create these stats here.

Key indicators

The following analysis reflects the experience across the population of North East.

Rates of unemployment and economic inactivity over time

What's on this chart?

This chart shows labour market statistics for North East.

Dataset

Labour market economic activity
Unemployment rate
Economic inactivity rate
YearJun 2005Jun 2008Jun 2011Jun 2014Jun 2017Jun 2020Jun 2023% of population010152025305Unemployment rate 2004-12-01: 5.9Unemployment rate 2005-03-01: 5.7Unemployment rate 2005-06-01: 5.8Unemployment rate 2005-09-01: 5.7Unemployment rate 2005-12-01: 5.7Unemployment rate 2006-03-01: 6.9Unemployment rate 2006-06-01: 6.5Unemployment rate 2006-09-01: 7Unemployment rate 2006-12-01: 7.1Unemployment rate 2007-03-01: 6.5Unemployment rate 2007-06-01: 6.3Unemployment rate 2007-09-01: 6.1Unemployment rate 2007-12-01: 5.7Unemployment rate 2008-03-01: 5.9Unemployment rate 2008-06-01: 6.5Unemployment rate 2008-09-01: 6.7Unemployment rate 2008-12-01: 7.4Unemployment rate 2009-03-01: 8.3Unemployment rate 2009-06-01: 8.8Unemployment rate 2009-09-01: 9.2Unemployment rate 2009-12-01: 9.6Unemployment rate 2010-03-01: 10Unemployment rate 2010-06-01: 10.4Unemployment rate 2010-09-01: 10Unemployment rate 2010-12-01: 10Unemployment rate 2011-03-01: 10.4Unemployment rate 2011-06-01: 9.8Unemployment rate 2011-09-01: 10.7Unemployment rate 2011-12-01: 10.6Unemployment rate 2012-03-01: 11.3Unemployment rate 2012-06-01: 11.6Unemployment rate 2012-09-01: 11.2Unemployment rate 2012-12-01: 11.2Unemployment rate 2013-03-01: 10.1Unemployment rate 2013-06-01: 10.1Unemployment rate 2013-09-01: 11Unemployment rate 2013-12-01: 11Unemployment rate 2014-03-01: 10.5Unemployment rate 2014-06-01: 10.3Unemployment rate 2014-09-01: 9.3Unemployment rate 2014-12-01: 8.5Unemployment rate 2015-03-01: 8.1Unemployment rate 2015-06-01: 7.6Unemployment rate 2015-09-01: 7.9Unemployment rate 2015-12-01: 8Unemployment rate 2016-03-01: 7.5Unemployment rate 2016-06-01: 7.8Unemployment rate 2016-09-01: 6.9Unemployment rate 2016-12-01: 7.2Unemployment rate 2017-03-01: 7.9Unemployment rate 2017-06-01: 7.2Unemployment rate 2017-09-01: 6.9Unemployment rate 2017-12-01: 6.5Unemployment rate 2018-03-01: 5.6Unemployment rate 2018-06-01: 5.2Unemployment rate 2018-09-01: 5Unemployment rate 2018-12-01: 5.1Unemployment rate 2019-03-01: 5.7Unemployment rate 2019-06-01: 6.1Unemployment rate 2019-09-01: 6.2Unemployment rate 2019-12-01: 6.3Unemployment rate 2020-03-01: 6.3Unemployment rate 2020-06-01: 5.8Unemployment rate 2020-09-01: 6.7Unemployment rate 2020-12-01: 7Unemployment rate 2021-03-01: 6.2Unemployment rate 2021-06-01: 6.9Unemployment rate 2021-09-01: 5.7Unemployment rate 2021-12-01: 5.1Unemployment rate 2022-03-01: 5.5Unemployment rate 2022-06-01: 4.6Unemployment rate 2022-09-01: 4.2Unemployment rate 2022-12-01: 4.9Unemployment rate 2023-03-01: 4.5Unemployment rate 2023-06-01: 4.6Economic inactivity rate 2004-12-01: 29Economic inactivity rate 2005-03-01: 28.8Economic inactivity rate 2005-06-01: 28.3Economic inactivity rate 2005-09-01: 28.5Economic inactivity rate 2005-12-01: 28.2Economic inactivity rate 2006-03-01: 27.7Economic inactivity rate 2006-06-01: 26.9Economic inactivity rate 2006-09-01: 26.7Economic inactivity rate 2006-12-01: 26.2Economic inactivity rate 2007-03-01: 26.3Economic inactivity rate 2007-06-01: 26.2Economic inactivity rate 2007-09-01: 26Economic inactivity rate 2007-12-01: 25.8Economic inactivity rate 2008-03-01: 25.2Economic inactivity rate 2008-06-01: 25.9Economic inactivity rate 2008-09-01: 25.4Economic inactivity rate 2008-12-01: 25.3Economic inactivity rate 2009-03-01: 25.2Economic inactivity rate 2009-06-01: 25.2Economic inactivity rate 2009-09-01: 25.2Economic inactivity rate 2009-12-01: 26.1Economic inactivity rate 2010-03-01: 27.5Economic inactivity rate 2010-06-01: 26.8Economic inactivity rate 2010-09-01: 27Economic inactivity rate 2010-12-01: 27.3Economic inactivity rate 2011-03-01: 27Economic inactivity rate 2011-06-01: 27Economic inactivity rate 2011-09-01: 27.5Economic inactivity rate 2011-12-01: 27.4Economic inactivity rate 2012-03-01: 26.9Economic inactivity rate 2012-06-01: 26.7Economic inactivity rate 2012-09-01: 26.5Economic inactivity rate 2012-12-01: 26.3Economic inactivity rate 2013-03-01: 26.7Economic inactivity rate 2013-06-01: 26Economic inactivity rate 2013-09-01: 26.4Economic inactivity rate 2013-12-01: 26.2Economic inactivity rate 2014-03-01: 25.4Economic inactivity rate 2014-06-01: 25.4Economic inactivity rate 2014-09-01: 25.6Economic inactivity rate 2014-12-01: 25.6Economic inactivity rate 2015-03-01: 25.8Economic inactivity rate 2015-06-01: 26.2Economic inactivity rate 2015-09-01: 26.3Economic inactivity rate 2015-12-01: 25.8Economic inactivity rate 2016-03-01: 25.6Economic inactivity rate 2016-06-01: 25.6Economic inactivity rate 2016-09-01: 25Economic inactivity rate 2016-12-01: 23.9Economic inactivity rate 2017-03-01: 23.4Economic inactivity rate 2017-06-01: 23.8Economic inactivity rate 2017-09-01: 23.6Economic inactivity rate 2017-12-01: 23.8Economic inactivity rate 2018-03-01: 24.2Economic inactivity rate 2018-06-01: 24.4Economic inactivity rate 2018-09-01: 23.5Economic inactivity rate 2018-12-01: 23.3Economic inactivity rate 2019-03-01: 22.9Economic inactivity rate 2019-06-01: 22.9Economic inactivity rate 2019-09-01: 23.4Economic inactivity rate 2019-12-01: 24.6Economic inactivity rate 2020-03-01: 24.1Economic inactivity rate 2020-06-01: 23.6Economic inactivity rate 2020-09-01: 23.2Economic inactivity rate 2020-12-01: 23.5Economic inactivity rate 2021-03-01: 24.1Economic inactivity rate 2021-06-01: 25.1Economic inactivity rate 2021-09-01: 25.7Economic inactivity rate 2021-12-01: 25.6Economic inactivity rate 2022-03-01: 25.9Economic inactivity rate 2022-06-01: 25Economic inactivity rate 2022-09-01: 24.4Economic inactivity rate 2022-12-01: 26Economic inactivity rate 2023-03-01: 26.2Economic inactivity rate 2023-06-01: 25.5

Fuel poverty rate by geography

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the percentage of households in fuel poverty across the different areas in North East. In North East 74326 of 525982 households are in fuel poverty.

Dataset

Fuel Poverty
44% (highest)
23.5%
3% (lowest)
County Durham 14.7% of households are fuel poorSouth Tyneside 13.9% of households are fuel poorSunderland 13.8% of households are fuel poorGateshead 13.3% of households are fuel poor

Median weekly wage by geography

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the median weekly wage for different areas in North East.

Dataset

Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings Weekly Earnings
£463 (lowest)
£563.5
£664 (highest)
County Durham UA £532 median weekly wageSouth Tyneside £509 median weekly wageSunderland £508 median weekly wageGateshead £514 median weekly wage

Percentage of people in low income households by their savings and investments

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the poverty rates by the savings and investments of adults in the family in North East. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income (after housing costs) in latest prices.

Dataset

HBAI by savings and investments

No data available at this level

Percentage of jobs below living wage by gender and hours

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the percentage of jobs that are paid below living wage in North East. Percentages can add to more than 100 as "All sexes" includes those already counted in "Men" and "Women".

Dataset

Jobs below living wage

No data available at this level.

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

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the gender pay gap as a percentage differenece in North East.


Gender pay gap (GPG) is calculated as the difference between average hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men and women as a proportion of average hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men. For example, a 4% GPG denotes that women earn 4% less, on average, than men. Conversely, a -4% GPG denotes that women earn 4% more, on average, than men.

Dataset

Gender pay gap

No data available at this level.

People in low income households by ethnic group

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the poverty rates by ethnic group in North East. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income (after housing costs) in latest prices.

These statistics have been three-year averaged and rounded according to the guidance on statXplore. This method helps smooth erratic series and so give more robust estimates as the FRS sample size and coverage issues mean that single year results broken down below the level of UK region are unlikely to be reliable.

Dataset

HBAI by ethnic group

No data available at this level

People in low income households by marital status

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the poverty rates by marital/cohabiting status in North East. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income (after housing costs) in latest prices.

These statistics have been three-year averaged and rounded according to the guidance on statXplore.

Dataset

No data available at this level

See also the briefing by JRF for Economic security.