The total number of unemployed claimants in Dagenham and Rainham constituency in March 2019 was 2,235. This represents a rate of 4.1% of the economically active population aged 16-64. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 3.4%. The UK unemployment rate, which includes people not claiming benefits and is estimated from survey data, was 3.9% in December 2018 to February 2019.
The number of claimants in Dagenham and Rainham constituency is 570 higher than March 2018 and 35 higher than February 2019. There were 395 claimants aged 18-24 in March 2019, 75 higher than March 2018.
Figures are not seasonally adjusted and are rounded to the nearest five. 'Unemployed claimants' include people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or who are claiming Universal Credit and are required to seek work.
How do figures change when we adjust for Universal Credit roll out?
Universal Credit requires a broader group of claimants to look for work than was the case under Jobseeker's Allowance. This has the effect of increasing the number of unemployed claimants after Universal Credit is rolled out in an area.
To adjust for this, new statistics are now published. In addition to counting people currently claiming unemployment benefits, they included people who would have been required to look for work had Universal Credit always been in place. These figures have been updated this month.
Using this alternative count, there would have been 2,887 unemployed claimants in Dagenham and Rainham in February 2019.*
On this basis, the number of claimants would have been 207 higher than February 2018, and 149 higher than January 2019.
These adjusted figures are likely to give a better indication of unemployment trends after Universal Credit roll out than the unadjusted figures above. However, they do not represent the actual number of people claiming. (*Note that this is one month behind the figures above.)
Jon Cruddas MP for Dagenham and Rainham said: "it is a shame to see unemployment on the rise in the constituency again, I have no doubt that this is a knock-on effect of the tories economic failures which are leaving many working part time or on zero-hours contracts but still needing support."