Regional unemployment rate in the United Kingdom 2019
In early 2019 the North East of England had the highest unemployment rate of any region in the United Kingdom at 5.4 percent, while for the country as a whole, the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent. Although London had an unemployment rate higher than the national average at 4.4 percent, the South East, and South West regions of England were both lower at 3.2 and 2.4 percent respectively.
North-South divide
While the North of England has some of the country’s largest cities, the sheer size and economic power of London dwarfs these settlements. Due to the size of London, the United Kingdom is one of Europe’s most centralized counties, and there is a clear divide between the economic prospects of north and south England. In 2017 for example, there were only 205 businesses per 10,000 people in Sunderland, compared with almost three times that number in London.
Unemployment in decline
In the years following the 2008 financial crash, the United Kingdom’s unemployment rate rose from 5.3 percent in 2007 to 8.1 percent by 2011. Since that year, however, the unemployment rate has declined considerably, and reached a 44-year low of just 4.1 percent in 2018
North-South divide
While the North of England has some of the country’s largest cities, the sheer size and economic power of London dwarfs these settlements. Due to the size of London, the United Kingdom is one of Europe’s most centralized counties, and there is a clear divide between the economic prospects of north and south England. In 2017 for example, there were only 205 businesses per 10,000 people in Sunderland, compared with almost three times that number in London.
Unemployment in decline
In the years following the 2008 financial crash, the United Kingdom’s unemployment rate rose from 5.3 percent in 2007 to 8.1 percent by 2011. Since that year, however, the unemployment rate has declined considerably, and reached a 44-year low of just 4.1 percent in 2018
