2,900 people in West Suffolk claimed unemployment benefits in June, 2.5% of working-age residents, below GB's 3.9%. Under-25 claims are up 65 in a year.
2,900 people across West Suffolk were claiming unemployment-related benefits in June, according to the Office for National Statistics claimant count, 45 more than in May and 160 more than in June last year. That is 2.5 per cent of residents aged 16 to 64, well below the Great Britain rate of 3.9 per cent. (ONS claimant count, published via Nomis)
The claimant count records people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance plus those on Universal Credit who are required to look for work. It is not the full unemployment measure, but it is the only jobs figure published every month at council level, which makes it the best regular signal of how the labour market is moving across Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Haverhill, Mildenhall, Brandon and the villages between them. The ONS rounds each figure to the nearest five.
A step up since the new year
The monthly figures from June 2025 to June 2026 run 2,740; 2,690; 2,715; 2,780; 2,750; 2,740; 2,740; 2,810; 2,945; 2,910; 2,855; 2,855; 2,900. Through the second half of 2025 the count barely moved, staying inside a narrow band between 2,690 and 2,780. It stepped up in January, peaked at 2,945 in February, the highest point of the thirteen months, then eased back to 2,855 through the spring before rising again to 2,900 in June. Every month of 2026 so far has been higher than any month of 2025. (Nomis, claimant count for West Suffolk, retrieved 12 August 2026)
Under the headline number, every age group is claiming in greater numbers than a year ago. Claims by 16 to 24 year olds rose from 470 to 535 over the year, the sharpest proportional rise of any group at close to 14 per cent. Claims by 25 to 49 year olds rose from 1,595 to 1,665, and claims by the over-50s from 675 to 705. Under-25s now account for just under one claimant in five.
Even after a year of increases, West Suffolk remains one of the stronger jobs markets in the region. Its 2.5 per cent claimant rate compares with 2.9 per cent across Suffolk as a whole, 3.3 per cent across the East of England and 3.9 per cent for Great Britain. Put another way, about one working-age resident in 40 here is claiming, against roughly one in 26 nationally. Measured against economically active residents aged 16 and over, the local rate is 3.1 per cent.
What it means for you
For jobseekers the local picture remains healthier than the national one: proportionally fewer people are chasing work here than almost anywhere in the region. The steady drift upwards since January, and the rise in under-25 claims in particular, is the number worth watching for anyone leaving school or college this summer. If you have lost work or had your hours cut, the main route into support is Universal Credit, claimed online, and low-income households can also apply for Council Tax Reduction, which cuts the bill rather than paying cash.
A steady jobs market also underpins the housing market; our Bury St Edmunds house prices page tracks what homes across the district actually sell for. The July claimant figures are due on Nomis next month and we will report them when they appear.
Have your say