4,310 people in North Tyneside claimed jobless benefits in September, 220 more than a year ago. The rate runs from 1% in St Mary's to 6.4% in Chirton.
4,310 people in North Tyneside were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September. That is 220 more than in September last year, a rise of 5.4%.
The figures come from the Office for National Statistics claimant count, published on 20 October (ONS claimant count via Nomis). The count is 3.3% of residents aged 16 to 64, up from 3.1% a year ago.
Up again after two monthly falls
The count rose by 65 between August and September. It had fallen in July and August.
The August figure has been revised. We reported 4,330 for August when it was first published in September. The ONS now puts it at 4,245. Claimant figures are routinely revised as fuller benefits data comes in, so September’s 4,310 may move too.
September last year, at 4,090, was the lowest point of the past two years. The count then climbed through the winter to 4,435 in February 2026.
The coast has the lowest rates in the borough
The ONS also publishes the count ward by ward. The gap across North Tyneside is wide. In St Mary’s ward, 1.0% of working-age residents claim. In Chirton and Percy Main, the figure is 6.4%.
In the five wards covering Whitley Bay, Cullercoats, Monkseaton, St Mary’s and Tynemouth:
| Ward | Claimants | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Cullercoats and Whitley Bay South | 160 | 2.5% |
| Monkseaton | 145 | 2.2% |
| Whitley Bay North | 135 | 1.9% |
| Tynemouth | 110 | 1.9% |
| St Mary’s | 50 | 1.0% |
Together that is 600 claimants. Chirton and Percy Main ward alone has 570. The other wards above 4% are Howdon and Wallsend Central (both 5.2%), North Shields (4.8%) and New York and Murton (4.3%).
Older and younger claimants account for the rise
Compared with September last year:
- aged 50 and over: 980, up 115
- aged 16 to 24: 1,035, up 90
- aged 25 to 49: 2,295, up 20
Men make up most claimants: 2,535, up 130. There are 1,770 women claiming, up 85.
How North Tyneside compares
North Tyneside’s rate is still among the lowest in the North East. Of the region’s 12 councils, only Northumberland (2.9%) and County Durham (3.2%) are lower. Newcastle and Gateshead are both at 4.0%, South Tyneside at 4.7% and Middlesbrough highest at 5.1%.
But the borough’s count is rising faster than the region’s or the country’s:
| Area | September 2026 | Change on a year |
|---|---|---|
| North Tyneside | 4,310 (3.3%) | up 5.4% |
| North East | 63,515 (3.7%) | up 3.3% |
| Great Britain | 1,668,680 (3.9%) | up 3.0% |
The claimant count is not the official unemployment rate. It counts people claiming benefits mainly because they are out of work, and under Universal Credit it also includes some people in low-paid work who must look for more (ONS guide to the measure). It is, however, the only jobs figure published every month for each council and ward.
What it means for you
- Living on the coast, you are in the part of the borough where claiming is least common: about one working-age resident in 50 in Whitley Bay North and Tynemouth wards, against one in 16 in Chirton and Percy Main.
- If you are over 50 and out of work, you are in the group where claims have grown most this year.
- If you have lost work or hours, the main route into support is Universal Credit. Low-income households can also apply for Council Tax Reduction; our council tax page has the North Tyneside bands.
The October figures are due from the ONS in mid-November.
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