Health

Unemployment in the West Midlands hits highest figure in the country

AnyFans 2025-09-17

By Beverly Rademacher

New data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today (September 16), covering the period from May to July 2025 showed the region has the highest unemployment figure out of all UK regions.

In the West Midlands 189,000 people were listed as unemployed – an increase of 1.2 per cent on figures for the same period last year and an increase of 0.9 per cent compared to the previous quarter (February to April 2025).

Just under three quarters of people, aged 16 to 64, were working (73.5 per cent) – an increase of 1.3 per cent compared to February to April 2025 but a decrease of 0.2 per cent compared to data for the same period last year.

This means just over one fifth of people of working age in the region were economically inactive (21.9 per cent). This rate has decreased by 2.0 per cent compared to the previous quarter and is 1.2 per cent less than a year earlier.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, who is MP for Wolverhampton South East, said: “Today’s figures show signs of progress with economic inactivity and redundancies continuing to fall.

“But we must futureproof our workforce by giving people the opportunities and skills they need to secure the jobs of tomorrow. It is vital that our £240 million Get Britain Working plan is felt by people across the country, whether it’s through targeted support for young people entering the workforce, or joining up work, health and skills support.

“The true strength of the UK’s economy lies in the British people, which is why we are unlocking opportunity in every part of the country to drive forward economic growth under our Plan for Change.”

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said since Labour came to power in July 2024 falling economic inactivity has driven the population that is economically active (those employed and the unemployed looking for work) to a near record high of 34.243 million – adding that the number of people that have gained employment since the election (753,000) has outpaced the rise in unemployment (207,000).

The DWP pointed to hundreds of job opportunities advertised across the Black Country boroughs in the last 30 days with 258 jobs listed in Dudley, 232 in Sandwell, 266 in Walsall and 408 in Wolverhampton.