the babergh economic profile 2010-11 - mid suffolk · 2016. 12. 5. · 2010-11 . introduction this...

THE BABERGH

ECONOMIC PROFILE

2010-11

INTRODUCTION This document aims to provide a statistical overview of the main economic trends in the

district of Babergh through the course of the financial year 2010/11. The year saw the

continuation of significant economic pressures nationwide which, coupled with a well

documented reduction in public service provision, redundancies and pay freezes, is likely

to have a significant impact on businesses and individuals in Suffolk for the foreseeable

future.

This profile therefore, is designed to inform you of the key changes over the past year in

relation to businesses, the labour market, skills and benefits and provide you with a

baseline of current activity to measure changes against in future. The profile is not

intended to cover all possible areas of interest and there is much more information

available from other sources. Where possible, we have provided links to existing data/

reports provided by partner organisations that might be of interest to you. We have

included data at ward level, where available, accompanied by district and county

comparisons to enable users of this document to get to the root of geographical

variations within the district. We have used the most up-to-date data available to us in

all cases.

The Suffolk Observatory

All the information contained in this report is updated throughout the year and is

available on the new Suffolk Observatory www.suffolkobservatory.info. You can also

download this report from the site alongside a similar countywide economic profile. The

new Observatory also allows you to create your own dynamic reports, maps and charts

from a huge range of thematic data.

CONTENTS

1. Demographics................................................................................................p4

· District Population

· Age Breakdown

· Ageing Population

· Population by Ward

· ACORN classifications

2. Businesses.....................................................................................................p9

· Business Formations

· Business Survival

· Business Turnover

3. The labour market.......................................................................................p12

Employment

· Total Employment

· Employment by sector/occupation

· Public/Private sector employment

· Median Annual Earnings

· Earnings by gender

Unemployment

· Unemployment rate

· Job Seekers Allowance claimant trends

· Economic inactivity

· NEET data

4. Benefits.......................................................................................................p23

· All claimants

· Claimants by gender and duration

5. Skills..........................................................................................................p26

· Working Age Qualifications

· G.C.S.E Attainment

7. Acknowledgements......................................................................................p29

DEMOGRAPHY

Key Facts:

• The population of Babergh district according to the most recent estimates was 85,753 in mid-2009

• 21% of the population of the district is aged 65 or over

• The ward of Pinewood has the highest population of all wards in Babergh at 4311

• The ward with the lowest population is Lavenham at just 1,658

• Between 2006 and 2009 the population of Sudbury South rose by 6%

• Between 2006 and 2009 the population of Lavenham fell by 7%

Why is this important?

Understanding the number of people in a given area is the first step in shaping the

services to deliver to them – everything from education services, to health, to waste

collection are shaped by information about the people who will use them. For local

councils, the number and location of people is crucial information which determines

which services are needed in specific areas and how they are delivered. For the wider

economy, the number of people and their age also impacts on the size of the workforce

and the development of infrastructure.

Links

Suffolk County Council’s demography pages provide detailed briefings on ONS population

estimates and demographic trends.

Further Detail

District Population

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates are published

annually in the summer and relate to the preceding year. The 2009 figures estimate the

population of Babergh to be 85,783. The time series data from 2006 to 2009 shows a

fall of 119 in the overall district population during this period.

Figure 1 – Population of Babergh, 2006-2009 based on ONS Mid-Year Estimates

Age breakdown

Figure 2 below highlights that Babergh has an increasingly ageing population with the

highest percentage of both males and females falling into the 65-69 age groups. This

demographic trend will have a long term impact on the district as the size of the

workforce declines when the majority of the population which currently sits within the 40

– 69 age groups, leave the workforce over the coming years.

The pyramid also shows a relatively low percentage of males and females aged 20-34 in

the district compared to the high numbers of middle aged residents and children. This is

suggestive of a trend that sees mobile young people move out of the district, possibly as a

result of a lack of economic opportunities or affordable housing, although clearly the

district retains a high proportion of families and older people. Currently, 21% of the

population are aged 65 or over.

Names 2006 2007 2008 2009

Babergh 85,902 85,882 85,973 85,783

85650

85700

85750

85800

85850

85900

85950

86000

2006 2007 2008 2009

Population of Babergh 2006-2009

2009 ONS MYE

Figure 2 - Based on ONS Mid-Year Estimates for 2009

Ageing Population

Figure 3 demonstrates that, according to ONS population projections, the percentage of

over 65s in the district will increase to over a quarter (27%) by 2020. The number of

85s, the age group which are the most likely to access health and social care services or

support from local councils, is also likely to increase to 4% of the total population.

Figure 3 – District Population Projection Based on ONS 2008 Sub National Population Projections

Population by ward

Figure 4 shows the changes in population of the wards of Babergh between 2006 and

2009. The table highlights some interesting trends. The largest ward in the district is

Pinewood with a population of 4,311. The smallest ward by population is Lavenham with

just 1,658 residents.

10 5 0 5 10

Under 5

Age 10 - 14

Age 20 - 24

Age 30 - 34

Age 40 - 44

Age 50 - 54

Age 60 - 64

Age 70 - 74

Age 80 - 84

Babergh Population Profile 2009

% Female % Male

% of

population2009 2020

Aged 65+ 21% 27%

Aged 85+ 3% 4%

The ward of Lavenham saw the biggest proportionate fall in population during the period

2006-2009 with a population drop of 7%. The ward of Sudbury South however, saw the

biggest increase as its population rose in size by 6% over the period.

Figure 4 - Ward population estimates based on ONS Mid-Year Estimates for 2009

ACORN classifications

ACORN is a social marketing segmentation tool which segments households or postcodes

into several different categories through analysis of social factors and population

behaviour. There are five main groupings with several sub categories which fall under

each group. The information included below is only intended to provide a brief overview of

the classification – for more details please consult the CACI website.

Names 2006 2007 2008 2009 % Change

Alton 3,951 3,975 3,934 3,886 -2%

Berners 3,885 3,877 3,859 3,835 -1%

Boxford 2,163 2,156 2,192 2,201 2%

Brett Vale 2,063 2,055 2,074 2,030 -2%

Brook 3,912 3,981 3,973 3,963 1%

Bures St Mary 1,659 1,703 1,688 1,697 2%

Chadacre 1,979 1,990 1,956 1,952 -1%

Dodnash 3,576 3,558 3,539 3,530 -1%

Glemsford and Stanstead 3,651 3,665 3,649 3,593 -2%

Great Cornard North 3,932 3,963 4,032 4,095 4%

Great Cornard South 4,174 4,149 4,147 4,154 0%

Hadleigh North 4,157 4,205 4,247 4,254 2%

Hadleigh South 3,827 3,764 3,746 3,772 -1%

Holbrook 2,564 2,567 2,610 2,602 1%

Lavenham 1,788 1,758 1,715 1,658 -7%

Leavenheath 1,762 1,766 1,769 1,778 1%

Long Melford 3,719 3,712 3,657 3,660 -2%

Lower Brett 2,140 2,111 2,106 2,104 -2%

Mid Samford 4,048 4,063 4,020 3,992 -1%

Nayland 1,840 1,824 1,826 1,823 -1%

North Cosford 2,160 2,152 2,123 2,121 -2%

Pinewood 4,409 4,311 4,366 4,311 -2%

South Cosford 2,221 2,230 2,244 2,245 1%

Sudbury East 4,278 4,221 4,241 4,245 -1%

Sudbury North 4,102 4,127 4,244 4,255 4%

Sudbury South 3,954 4,074 4,113 4,179 6%

Waldingfield 3,988 3,925 3,903 3,848 -4%

BABERGH 85,902 85,882 85,973 85,783 0%

The breakdown for the district of Babergh shows that 49.53% of the population falls into

the category of ‘Wealthy Achievers’ which denotes wealthy and affluent people living in

rural or semi-rural areas, usually middle-aged or older people and living in large houses

that are mostly owner occupied.

Figure 5 - ACORN 2009 classifications for District of Babergh

In total, 79% of the population are classified as either ‘Wealthy Achievers’ or

‘Comfortably Off’ which denotes a relatively high standard of living for these residents. In

contrast, 10.09% of the population were classified as ‘Hard Pressed’ which suggests they

live in generally poorer areas characterised by higher levels of unemployment, those

working tend to have few qualifications and work in low skilled trades.

49.53

1.5

29.47

8.24

10.09

1.17

Babergh District ACORN Classification Breakdown

ACORN: % Population

Wealthy Achievers

ACORN: % Population

Urban Prosperity

ACORN: % Population

Comfortably Off

ACORN: % Population

Moderate Means

ACORN: % Population

Hard Pressed

ACORN: % Population

Unclassified

BUSINESSES

Key Facts:

• There were nearly 4,000 active businesses in Babergh in 2009

• Nearly half (48%) of businesses which registered in 2004 in Babergh, survived for five years

• Wholesale and retail trade’ is the biggest industry in the district according to enterprise turnover figures for 2009


Local and national businesses are at the heart of the Suffolk economy – they provide

employment, attract inward investment to the county and encourage local spending.

Businesses are in essence, the lynchpin of the economy. Over the last 2-3 years there has

been increasing international pressure on businesses with national companies feeling the

squeeze and some ceasing to trade. This has been even more intense for small

businesses, of which Suffolk as a county has many, as they suffered from reduced lending

from banks and the downturn in consumer activity.

The number of businesses, turnover, formations and survival rates are all important

indicators of the state of the wider economy and monitoring how these indicators are

changing is essential to understanding how Suffolk is, and will continue, to fare in these

troubled economic times.

Links

Suffolk County Council’s Rural Business Survey Report provides further information on

rural businesses in Suffolk.

Further Detail

Business Formations

Business formation rates are used as a reliable indicator of entrepreneurship. In this

respect, the role of new business venture creation and entrepreneurship in stimulating

economic growth should not be underestimated. It has been argued that the continual

entry and exit of firms and plants is a vital ingredient to an economy. Often described as

“churn”, this process is seen as having a positive effect on productivity through increased

competition leading to cost efficiency. Further, it may enhance a process of creative

destruction as more innovative firms enter the market place and displace existing

businesses using old, or at best, current technologies.

Figure 6 tracks the count of business births and deaths in Babergh and presents a

calculation for the business formation rate. The business formation rate in terms of its

calculation can be viewed as the fertility rate of businesses. In the following table it is

calculated by dividing the number of business births by the total number of active

business in the area.

Figure 6 – Business Births and Deaths, 2009

In light of the above table, one can extrapolate that the business formation rate in

Babergh is roughly equivalent to the county average.

Percentage survival over time

Figure 7 – Business Survival Over Time of Businesses Registered in 2004

Figure 7 tracks the survival trajectory of new businesses in Babergh and compares it to

other districts. This quantitative analysis provides a good indication of the economic

2009 Births DeathsNet

ChangeActive

Business

Formation

Rate

Babergh 335 430 -95 3,990 8.4

Suffolk County 2,365 3,045 -680 27,985 8.45

Area 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year

Babergh 94.1 84.7 70.6 58.8 48.2

Forest Heath 92.2 76.6 62.5 51.6 42.2

Ipswich 96.9 80.6 67.3 54.1 48

Mid Suffolk 95.9 83.5 71.1 60.8 53.6

St Edmundsbury 95.9 79.6 66.3 57.1 48

Suffolk Coastal 93.7 80.3 67.7 55.9 48.8

Waveney 94.6 80.4 66.3 57.6 51.1

environment in Babergh which might foster new businesses or have the opposite effect.

Drawing on the data in the table, it can be said that the survival rate of businesses after

five years from their start in Babergh is roughly at par with the county average (0.6%

lower). Note *- figure 7 follows the trajectory of new businesses which registered in

2004.

Enterprise Turnover

The Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) is a list of UK businesses maintained

by ONS - it covers businesses in all parts of the economy, missing some very small

businesses operating without VAT or PAYE schemes (self employed and those with low

turnover and without employees) and some non-profit organisations, but overall

represents nearly 99 per cent of UK economic activity.

Figure 8 – Enterprise Turnover by SIC, 2009 IDBR

This breakdown of IDBR 2009 enterprise turnover shown in figure 8 is a good indicator

of the biggest industries in each district. Clearly in Babergh, the most significant

turnover came from enterprises classed as, according to the 2007 Standard Industrial

Classifications (SIC), ‘Wholesale and Retail Trade.’ ‘Construction’ and ‘manufacturing’

are also significant industries according to enterprise turnover in the district.

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

Enterprise Turnover by Standard Industrial Classification

LABOUR MARKET

Key Facts:

• Babergh had an employment rate of 71% of the working age population at the

end of quarter 3, 2010. Of these workers, 10% were self-employed

• In 2009, 15.2% of the workforce were employed in ‘skilled trade occupations’

• The biggest employment sector in the district is ‘manufacturing’

• Babergh had the lowest rate of unemployment in the county, at 2.4% in Sept

2010

• In February, 4.59% of the 16-18 population were classed as NEET


The Labour Market – employment levels, employment by occupation and sector and

unemployment – are hugely important economic considerations. The labour market drives

the national and local economy encouraging growth in businesses and increases in

consumer spending. Suffolk aims to have a strong, growing and sustainable economy. One

of the main pre-requisites of achieving a sustainable economy is economic diversity

comprising of a wide range of profitable sectors. Economic diversity and sustainability

are linked together, and economic diversification can reduce a region’s economic volatility

and increase its real activity performance.

There has been a well documented rise in the number of unemployed people over recent

months and the continued squeeze on public sector service provision is likely to exacerbate

this problem over the course of the next financial year.

Links

www.nomisweb.co.uk provides a wealth of information on all aspects of the labour market

Further Detail

Employment - Total Employment

Figure 9 gives details of the percentage of the working age population who were in

employment in the districts of Suffolk at the end of quarter 3 (September) 2010. This is

the most recently available data and shows that in Babergh, the employment rate is the

second lowest in the county at just 71%, some 3% below the county average and 9%

lower than Forest Heath which had the highest rate of total employment. The table also

gives the breakdown of employed and self-employed people.

Figure 9 - Total % of Working Age Population in Employment and Split between Employed and Self

Employed, Q03 2010, NOMIS

The time series data in figure 10 shows that levels of employment have been on a

downward trajectory since 2007.

Figure 10 - Total % of Working Age Population in Employment, NOMIS

Area% Total

Employment

% aged 16-64

who are

employees

% aged 16-64

who are self

employed

Babergh 71 61 10

Forest Heath 80 66 14

Ipswich 74 67 6

Mid Suffolk 77 58 18

St Edmundsbury 73 64 9

Suffolk Coastal 77 64 13

Waveney 67 57 9

Suffolk 74 62 11

*Figures may not sum due to rounding

66

68

70

72

74

76

78

80

82

Q01

2007

Q02

2007

Q03

2007

Q04

2007

Q01

2008

Q02

2008

Q03

2008

Q04

2008

Q01

2009

Q02

2009

Q03

2009

Q04

2009

Q01

2010

Q02

2010

Q03

2010

% of Working Age Population in Employment,

Babergh

Between quarter 4 of 2008 and quarter 2 of 2009, there was a dramatic fall (down 7%

from 81% to 74%) in the percentage of those in employment, as the impact of the global

recession began to bite locally.

Employment by Occupation

A breakdown of employment by sector and occupation is a reasonable indication of the

economic diversity of Babergh. Any frame of analysis in this respect should, however,

take in to account data that relates to residence-based or a workplace-based breakdown.

The important difference here being that the workplace-place based employment

breakdown pertains to people working in the district regardless of where they live, while,

residence-based concerns the employment breakdown of people living in the district

regardless of where they work.

Figure 11 – Employment by Occupation 2009

Residence

Based

Workplace

Based

Jul 2009-Jun

2010

Jul 2009-Jun

2010

% all in employment who are - 1:

managers and senior officials14.4 13.7


professional occupations13.9 10.5


associate prof & tech occupations12.3 16.4


administrative and secretarial

occupations

7.8 5.9


skilled trades occupations15.2 16.6


personal service occupations7.8 11


sales and customer service

occupations

8.6 8.3


process, plant and machine

operatives

5.9 7.4


elementary occupations13.2 10.1

Type

A glimpse at figure 11 reveals the composition of the Babergh workforce and its underlying

strengths and weaknesses. Among people who live in Babergh and those who work in Babergh

irrespective of where they live, the majority are classified under ‘skilled trades’ occupations at

15.2% and 16.6% respectively.

‘Process, plant and machine operatives’ turn out to comprise the lower share of the employment

breakdown at 5.9% residence based. While ‘administrative and secretarial’ occupations employ

fewest people at 5.9% in the workplace based figures.

Employment by Sector

Figure 12 – BRES 2009 Breakdown of Employment by Sector

The Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) has replaced and integrated two

existing ONS business surveys, the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) and Business Register

Survey (BRS) and is a sample survey of approximately 80,000 businesses. It collects

comprehensive employment information from businesses in England, Scotland and Wales

representing the majority of the GB economy.

Figure 12 provides a breakdown of employment by sector for Babergh and also shows the

comparison for the whole county. It highlights that the biggest sector in terms of

employment in the district, is ‘manufacturing’ which employs 18.5% of workers (7% more

than the Suffolk average). The second biggest sector for employment is ‘retail’ at 12.2%

(1.5% higher than the Suffolk average). The ‘public administration and defence’ sector in

Babergh only employs 1.7% of people compared to 5% who are employed in this sector

county wide.

Note - *District level estimates do not include farm agriculture data due to their

unavailability.

Public/Private Sector Employment Breakdown

The BRES 2009 also provides an estimated breakdown of the percentage of total

employees who work in either the public or private sector. Figure 13 shows that Babergh

has the lowest percentage of employees working in the public sector across the whole

county at just 13%. This may mean that the local economy is better able to withstand

future cuts in public services and the inevitable job losses that will result.

Figure 13 – Public/Private Sector Employment by District, BRES 2009

Note - *District level estimates do not include farm agriculture data due to their

unavailability.

Public Private

Babergh 13% 87%

Forest Heath 15% 85%

Ipswich 30% 70%

Mid Suffolk 15% 86%

St Edmundsbury 22% 78%

Suffolk Coastal 16% 84%

Waveney 22% 78%

Area% Total employees

Median Annual Earnings

Median annual earnings are available at a residents and workplace level. This allows us

to evaluate the median gross annual wages of people who live in the district but may work

outside of it, alongside the median gross annual wages of those who work in the district

but may live elsewhere. Residents based median analysis is the most common approach

as the median is the value below which 50% of employees fall. It is preferred over the

mean for earnings data as it is influenced less by extreme values and because of the

skewed distribution of earnings data. However, annual workplace based estimates are

also included below to provide a comparison.

Unfortunately, the resident based median annual earnings figures are deemed to be

statistically unreliable for Babergh in 2010. However, the workplace based figure stands

at £22,341. Figure 14 provides a comparative analysis of Babergh’s median annual

earnings with respect to other districts in Suffolk and the county and region overall. The

Babergh workplace based figures are £1,494 below the Suffolk county average and

£3,028 lower than the East of England average.

Figure 14 – 2010 Median Annual Earnings, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

Weekly wages by gender

Figure 15 shows the residents based median weekly full time wage for men and women

for 2006-2010. It shows a big discrepancy in the average weekly wages for men

compared to women – in 2010, the weekly average for men was 45% higher than that for

women at £559.1 compared to £385.9.

District

Median Annual

Earnings: Full time

residents based (£)

Median Annual

Earnings: Full time

workplace based (£)

Babergh 0 22,341

Forest Heath 22,386 22,420

Ipswich 23,716 23,251

Mid Suffolk 23,446 21,260

St Edmundsbury 24,937 24,836

Suffolk Coastal 25,707 27,375

Waveney 22,944 22,322

Suffolk County 24,417 23,835

East of England 27,216 25,369

Figure 15 – weekly gross full time wages by gender

Overall, since 2006 both men and women have seen increases in median gross weekly

wages. For men there was an increase of £96.30 which is 21% higher than the 2006

figure. For women the rise was much less significant at just £46 over the four year

period – a proportional increase of 14%.

Type 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

%

Increase

06-10

Male Full Time Weekly 462.8 527.8 518.4 502.3 559.1 21%

Female Full Time Weekly 339.9 342.4 354.7 385.1 385.9 14%

% Difference 36% 54% 46% 30% 45%

Median Gross Weekly Full Time Wage

Unemployment - Annual Population Survey

The Annual Population Survey is the UK’s largest regular household survey and provides

an array of data on the labour market. As NOMIS explains ‘As APS estimates are based

on samples, they are subject to sampling variability. This means that if another sample for

the same period were drawn, a different estimate might be produced. In general, the

larger the number of people in a sample, the smaller the variation between estimates.

Estimates for smaller areas such as local authorities are therefore less reliable than those

for larger areas such as regions.’

As such, one can use the APS as an indicator of unemployment but there are also several

other measures that should be taken into account to build a richer picture of

unemployment trends in the district. These follow below.

Figure 16 – Unemployment by District based on Annual Population Survey Oct 2009 – Sept 2010,

NOMIS

Figure 16 shows the number of unemployed people according to APS survey data, for each of

Suffolk’s districts. This definition of unemployment counts people without a job who were

available to start work in the two weeks following their APS interview and who had either looked

for work in the four weeks prior to interview or were waiting to start a job they had already

obtained. It shows that Babergh has the lowest rate of unemployment in the county, at

2.4% it is well below the county average of 6.6%.

Job Seekers Allowance Claimant Trends

Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) is the main benefit for working age people who are out of

work and actively seeking employment. As such, it is a better indicator of the number of

unemployed people in an area and as it is measured monthly, of regular long term trends

in unemployment. In order to be eligible for JSA an individual must declare that they are

number percent

Babergh 900 2.4

Forest Heath 1,900 5.4

Ipswich 5,900 9.3

Mid Suffolk 2,900 5.8

St Edmundsbury 4,800 9.3

Suffolk Coastal 4,400 7.1

Waveney 2,500 5.0

Suffolk 23,200 6.6

Unemployment rate - aged

16-64Area

out of work but capable of, available for and actively seeking work during the week in

which the claim is made.

Figure 17 – JSA Claimants Trends, Dec 10 – Jan 11, NOMIS

Figure 17 shows the most recently available JSA data for each of Suffolk’s districts. It

shows that the number of people claiming JSA in each district has increased over the last

three months. However, Babergh has a relatively low rate of JSA claimants at 2.3%

compared to the countywide rate of 3%.

Note - Residence-based proportions express the number of claimants resident in an area

as a percentage of the population aged 16-64 resident in that area.

Figure 18 – Total JSA Claimant by Month 2007-2011, District of Babergh

Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate

Babergh 1,030 2.0 1,146 2.2 1,179 2.3

Forest Heath 829 2.1 907 2.3 906 2.3

Ipswich 3,486 4.2 3,728 4.5 3,850 4.6

Mid Suffolk 1,038 1.8 1,090 1.9 1,122 1.9

St Edmundsbury 1,443 2.2 1,531 2.4 1,563 2.4

Suffolk Coastal 1,323 1.8 1,409 1.9 1,410 1.9

Waveney 2,864 4.1 3,232 4.6 3,260 4.6

Suffolk 12,013 2.7 13,043 3.0 13,290 3.0

AreaDec-10 Jan-11 Feb-11

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

01-07

03-07

05-07

07-07

09-07

11-07

01-08

03-08

05-08

07-08

09-08

11-08

01-09

03-09

05-09

07-09

09-09

11-09

01-10

03-10

05-10

07-10

09-10

11-10

01-11

Number of People Claiming Job Seekers Allowance, Babergh

District 2007-2011

Figure 18 shows the variation in total monthly JSA claimants for the district of Babergh

between 2007 - 2011. It shows an upward trend sparked by an increase in claimants in

mid-2008 up to a peak in March 2009. Although the number of claimants has since

dropped off it is still considerably higher than at the start of 2007. This reflects what we

know of the pressures on the labour market since the 2008 financial crisis and it is likely

that as public sector cuts continue to take effect in 2011, that the JSA claimant count

will continue on its upward trajectory.

Finally, figure 19 provides an overview of the change in full year average claimant count

rates from 2008-2011. It provides a clearer picture of the peak in the claimant count in

2009-10 when the full year average number of people claiming rose by 26% on 2008/09

levels in Babergh. 2010-11 has seen a relatively large drop in claimants compared to the

2009-10 peak with a fall of 20% but that still means a 6% increase in the FY average in

2010-11 compared to the 2008-09 average.

Figure 19 – Full Year Average JSA Claimant Count by District, 2008 and 2009

Economic Inactivity

Economic inactivity is a measure of people who are neither in employment nor

unemployed. This group includes, for example, all those who were looking after a

household or retired. Within this category there are further sub-categories – people not in

employment who want a job but are not classed as unemployed because they have either

not sought work in the last four weeks or are not available to start work and people who

are neither in employment nor unemployed and who do not want a job.

AreaFY Average

2008-09

FY Average

2009-10

FY Average

2010-11

% Change

since 2008

% Change since

2009

Babergh 871 1,374 1,096 26% -20%

Forest Heath 611 1,016 883 44% -13%

Ipswich 2,799 3,848 3,629 30% -6%

Mid Suffolk 815 1,211 1,095 34% -10%

St Edmundsbury 1,265 1,813 1,477 17% -19%

Suffolk Coastal 983 1,506 1,336 36% -11%

Waveney 2,244 2,865 2,820 26% -2%

Suffolk 9,588 13,634 12,336 29% -10%

East of England 76,550 120,268 108,317 41% -10%

Figure 20 – Economic Inactivity by District, 2009-2010, NOMIS

Babergh has the second highest percentage of working age population who are

economically inactive in the county at 26.9% - 6% higher than the county average. Of

these, only 7.6% are economically inactive but want a job. The majority of economically

inactive people (19.3%) do not want a job which suggests there are a high number of

retired people in the district or home-makers.

Young People not in Education, Employment or Training

NEET data provides us with figures on the proportion of 16-18 year olds not in

education, employment or training. Many young people who are NEET at this age go on

to experience associated negative outcomes in their adult lives such as long term

unemployment, reduced earnings and even poor health. These consequences have a

significant cost for both the individual and the economy and thus, it is important to

monitor any significant increases in the number of young people classed as NEET and for

local agencies to plan policy to reverse such trends accordingly.

Figure 21 – % 16-18 Population NEET

Figure 21 shows the percentage of 16-18 population of Babergh that were classed as

NEET between August 2010 and February 2011. It shows that there has actually been

a fall of over a third in the percentage of NEET youngsters down 2.48% from 7.07% to

4.59% in February.

% who are

economically

inactive - aged

16-64

% aged 16-64

who are

economically

inactive - want a

job

% aged 16-64

who are

economically

inactive - do not

want a jobBabergh 26.9 7.6 19.3

Forest Heath 15.8 ! 13.7

Ipswich 18.6 6.0 12.6

Mid Suffolk 18.3 3.4 14.9

St Edmundsbury 19.2 6.4 12.8

Suffolk Coastal 17.4 5.9 11.5

Waveney 29.4 6.7 22.7

Suffolk 20.9 5.6 15.3

Oct 2009 - Sept 2010

Area

08-10 09-10 10-10 11-10 12-10 01-11 02-11

Babergh 7.07 4.35 4.91 4.42 4.41 2.09 4.59

NamesNEET % 16-18 Population

BENEFITS

Key Facts:

• Babergh has the fourth lowest number of benefit claimants in Suffolk

• 3.8% of the population in Babergh have been claiming benefits for more than 5

years

• Males in Babergh claim more benefits than women - 11.9% of men compared to

11.5% of women.


Data on the number of people claiming benefits in a given area is a good indication of the

overall state of the local economy. Benefit payments are designed to support people in

economic hardship if they are unable to find work particularly if they are sick, have a low

income or dependent children.

In times of economic hardship when unemployment levels are increasing, there is likely

to be an increase in the number of people claiming out of work benefits, for example Job

Seekers Allowance.

Links

www.nomisweb.co.uk provides extensive data on benefit claimants at District level.

Further Detail

The following charts and tables display the percentage of the resident working age

population claiming any type of benefit broken down by gender and duration. At the

moment, the most recent official publication of benefits claimants data corresponds to the

second quarter (July to September) of 2010. Population figures used to calculate the

percentages are the latest official population estimates (2009 mid-year population

estimates).

Figure 23 - % of Population Claiming Any Benefit, Q2/2006-2010

Babergh currently has the fourth lowest percentage of people claiming benefits in

comparison to the other districts in the county. From figure 23 we can see that Babergh

is, on average, 2% lower than the Suffolk county average. The number of people

claiming benefits saw a sharp jump in Babergh in 2009 when the percentage of the

population claiming increased by 2%. Since then the number of claimants has been

decreasing gradually though still remains significantly higher than in 2008.

Since 2009, the percentage of claimants who are men exceeds the percentage of female

claimants, although the opposite is true for the previous years as shown in figure 24.

Overall, in Babergh in quarter 2 of 2010, 11.9% of men compared to 11.5% of women

claimed a benefit. This is in line with the overall trend in Suffolk where the number of

men claiming benefits has been increasing.

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

% of Population Claiming Any Benefit, Q2 2006 - 2010

Babergh Suffolk

Figure 24 – Population Claiming Any Benefit by Gender, Q2/2006-2010

The number of benefits claimants who claim for more than 5 years is a good reflection of

the long term dependency for support from the government in a given area. The average

percentage of long term claimants in Babergh at 3.8%, is consistently lower than Suffolk

county figure which ranges between 4.4% - 4.5%.

Figure 25 - % of Population Claiming Benefits for more than 5 Years

Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

Babergh 8.1 8.7 8.2 8.8 8.3 8.8 10.7 9.7 10.1 9.5

Forest Heath 6.3 8.3 6.4 8.3 6.8 8.2 8.5 9.1 8.4 9.4

Ipswich 14.4 14.7 13.9 14.6 14.2 14.4 16.7 15.2 16.5 15.4

Mid Suffolk 6.9 8.2 6.7 8.0 7.1 7.8 8.7 8.4 8.3 8.5

St Edmundsbury 8.3 9.6 8.2 9.6 8.4 9.7 10.6 10.2 9.8 10.3

Suffolk Coastal 8.0 8.9 7.8 8.6 8.0 8.6 9.6 9.1 9.4 9.1

Waveney 15.6 15.2 15.1 14.8 15.2 14.5 17.1 15.3 17.5 15.3

Suffolk 10.1 10.9 9.9 10.8 10.2 10.7 12.2 11.4 11.9 11.5

Area Q2-2009 Q2-2010

Percentage of Resident Population Claiming Benefits

Q2-2006 Q2-2007 Q2-2008

Q2-2006 Q2-2007 Q2-2008 Q2-2009 Q2-2010

Babergh 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.8

Forest Heath 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1

Ipswich 5.9 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.7

Mid Suffolk 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2

St Edmundsbury 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.9

Suffolk Coastal 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.8

Waveney 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.7

Suffolk 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.5

AreaClaimants for longer than 5 years

Percentage of Resident Population Claiming

Benefits

SKILLS

Key Facts:

• 9.76% of the working age population of Babergh have no qualifications

• 23.08% of the working age population have NVQ 4 e.g. HND, Degree and

Higher Degree level qualifications or equivalent

• In 2009, 72% of key stage 4 pupils in Babergh achieved 5 or more GC.S.E’s at

grades A*-C


A skilled workforce is an essential part of any thriving economy – successful businesses

need a pool of employees to choose from with a range of skills to support their business

needs. In turn, in order for individuals to compete in an increasingly competitive and

pressurised jobs market, they need to possess an array of skills in order to stand out from

the crowd. This section looks at the skills of the current workforce and educational

attainment of school children.

Links

www.nomisweb.co.uk provides extensive data on benefit claimants at District level.

Further Detail

Working Age Population Qualifications

Figure 26 shows the most recent 2009 data on the qualifications of the working age

population of Babergh and the other six districts of Suffolk. The variables show the total

percentage of people who are qualified at a particular level and above, so data in this

table are not additive.

Figure 26 – Qualifications of the Working Age Population

Figure 27 – Qualification comparison, Babergh/Suffolk

It tells us that nearly 80% of the population have one or more NVQ’s i.e. fewer than 5

GCSEs at grades A-C, foundation GNVQ, NVQ 1, intermediate 1 national qualification

(Scotland) or equivalent. This is 2.21% below the Suffolk average. Only 9.76% of the

District population are without any form of qualification. The percentage of the working

Names

% Working

Age

Population

with

NVQ1+

% Working

Age

Population

with

NVQ2+

% Working

Age

Population

with

NVQ3+

% Working

Age

Population

with

NVQ4+

% Working

Age

Population

with no quals

% Working

Age

Population

with other

quals.

Babergh 78.99 59.29 39.78 23.08 9.76 11.45

Forest Heath 78.29 48.54 31.95 17.81 12.44 9.27

Ipswich 78.66 59.38 41.92 22.90 11.51 9.83

Mid Suffolk 81.97 66.61 48.08 29.88 9.52 8.51

St Edmundsbury 82.45 66.77 49.53 28.68 7.84 9.72

Suffolk Coastal 86.88 70.74 52.49 27.56 6.04 7.09

Waveney 79.43 59.29 45.43 18.57 13.29 7.14

Suffolk 81.20 62.30 45.10 24.30 9.90 8.90

78.99 81.20

59.29 62.30

39.78 45.10

23.08 24.309.76 9.9011.45 8.90

0%

50%

100%

Babergh Suffolk

Skills Comparison - Babergh/Suffolk

% Working Age Population

with other qualifications


with no qualifications


with NVQ4+


with NVQ3+


with NVQ2+


with NVQ1+

age population with NVQ 4 equivalent and above i.e. HND, Degree and Higher Degree

level qualifications or equivalent, is 23.08% in Babergh.

G.C.S.E Attainment

Attainment at G.C.S.E level Key stage 4 in Suffolk is a topic of interest as attainment

levels are often perceived to be poorer than the regional or national averages. Figure 28

shows that this is not the case in Babergh where in 2009, 72% of pupils achieved 5 or

more G.C.S.E’s at grades A*-C which is 5% higher than the county average.

Figure 28 – Key Stage 4 Attainment 2009

Babergh 72

Suffolk 67

Key Stage 4 Attainment 2009

% achieving 5+ GCSEs at grade A*-C

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The majority of the data included in this profile is sourced from the

Suffolk Observatory (www.suffolkobservatory.info).

Additional information has been sourced from NOMIS

(www.nomisweb.co.uk), the Office for National Statistics

(www.statistics.gov.uk), CACI (www.caci.co.uk) and Suffolk County

Council (www.suffolk.gov.uk).

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in

this profile is correct— where any mistakes exist, this is purely

accidental and will be rectified in due course.

If you would like further information about this profile please contact

Liz Harrison - [email protected]

the babergh economic profile 2010-11 - mid suffolk · 2016. 12. 5. · 2010-11 . introduction this...

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