The number of people of working age in employment divided by the number of people of working age, expressed as a percentage.
This indicator is used to measure progress against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Treasury Public Service Agreement (PSA) joint target to achieve full employment and to demonstrate progress on increasing the employment rate. The target is assessed using two measures, one of which is this indicator - seasonally adjusted employment rates (the proportion of the population of working age [16-59 for females and 16-64 for males] who are in employment based on International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions). The other target is seasonally adjusted unemployment rates (the proportion of economically active people aged 16 and over who are unemployed on the ILO measure; Local Basket of Indicators indicator 1.1). ILO unemployed people are those who are without a job, have actively sought work in the last 4 weeks and are available to start work in the next 2 weeks; or are out of work; or have found a job and are waiting to start it in the next 2 weeks. Unemployment is a significant risk factor for poor physical and mental health and therefore a major determinant of health inequalities. It is associated with morbidity, injuries, and premature mortality, especially through increased risk of coronary heart disease. It is also related to depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide. In addition, unemployment reinforces inequalities in health by social class.
Legacy unique identifier: P01082