Qualifications and Labour Market Participation in England and Wales

Fewer than half of those with no qualifications were in employment

source: ONS, 2014

Focusing on usual residents aged 25 to 64, in 2011:

• Fewer than half (48.5%) of those aged 25 to 64 with no qualifications were in employment compared with 8 in 10 (80.7%) of those with at least one qualification.
• While there was only a small difference in employment rates between the two highest levels of qualification, 2+ A Levels or equivalent (83.5%) and degree level or above (85.3%), those aged 25 to 64 with a degree level or above qualification were more likely to work in occupations with higher earnings.
• The unemployment rate for both men (12.9%) and women (10.8%) aged 25 to 64 with no qualifications was more than double the rate for those with at least one qualification (5.2% for men, 4.3% for women).
• The range of employment rates across local authorities was widest for those aged 25 to 64 with no qualifications (37.2 percentage points) and narrowed as the qualification level increased, with the narrowest range for those with a degree level or above (11.3 percentage points).
• All five local authorities with the highest employment rates for those aged 25 to 64 with no qualifications were rural areas, with the highest rate in Eden at 67.2%, whereas all five with the lowest employment rates for those with no qualifications were urban areas, with four of these being in Inner London and the lowest being Tower Hamlets at 30.0%.

For local Census analysis please click here.

Understanding Bradford District

A new report published today provides Bradford Council and its partners, citizens and businesses with accurate and up-to-date information about the district. The report offers a descriptive analysis of the district and highlights issues and trends that need to be addressed to make Bradford a better place to live and work..  A shorter summary and ‘in your pocket’ guide are also available.

Key findings

• With a population of 524,600, Bradford is the fourth largest district in England, after Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield.
• Bradford’s economy is £8.3 billion, constituting a fifth of West Yorkshire’s economic output and businesses. Between 2008 and 2011, Bradford’s growth was more than twice the regional average and also higher than UK growth.
• Educational attainment is improving year on year with the rate of improvement for achieving five or more good GCSEs at grades A*-C including Maths and English accelerating faster than the national average.
• Qualification levels are still lower than the regional and national averages.
• Social work interventions regarding children in need of care and protection has fallen, with 345 referrals per 10,000 population compared to the English average of 533 referrals per 10,000 population.
• We have a low proportion of social housing compared to regionally and nationally, but 99.9% of the stock meets the Decent Homes standard.
• We have maintained consistent levels of resident satisfaction; the Office of the Crime Commissioner found that over the last three years the percentage of people who said they were satisfied with their local area has been between 70% and 71%.
• Regular volunteering and civic participation are above the national averages demonstrating high levels of active citizenship.
• Overall crime levels continue to reduce, particularly burglaries and violent crime.

Links to download :-

Summary with chapter highlights; full report including links to supporting notes; and an ‘In your pocket’ guide with key statistics from the analysis.