Increase In Unemployment a Concern For The North East

The estimated unemployment rate for the region is above 6% for the first time since 2017. As unemployment has fallen across the country, only the East and North East regions have seen an increase in unemployment over the past 12 months.

The gap between the North East, the region with the lowest rate of employment (70.9%), and the best-performing region, the South West, has increased to almost 10 percentage points.

North East England Chamber of Commerce Policy Adviser Paul Carbert said: “Following the election last week, the new Government have pledged a renewed focus on investment in infrastructure in the North of England.

These figures demonstrate the scale of the divide between regions in the UK, and the need for targeted investment in infrastructure, skills, and business growth to unlock employment opportunities for our region.

The Chamber is looking forward to working with the new and returning MPs in our region to make the case for our members on their investment priorities.”