THE number of people in Warrington claiming unemployment-related benefits has risen to its highest level for more than four years, according to the latest official figures.
A total of 3,655 people aged 16 and over in the borough were recorded on the Government’s Claimant Count in August 2026 – an increase of 50 on July and 225 compared with August last year.
The latest figure is the highest recorded since June 2022.
The figures, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show that Warrington’s Claimant Count rate is now 2.7 per cent of residents aged 16-64.
That remains below the North West average of 4.2 per cent and the Great Britain figure of 3.9 per cent, but the direction of travel is raising questions about the local labour market, with Warrington Borough Council proposing at least 200 job cuts in the coming months.
The number of claimants has now increased in each of the seven months since January, when it stood at 3,365.
Young people particularly affected
The latest figures also highlight a significant increase among younger residents. There were 865 claimants aged 16 to 24 in August – an increase of 65 in just one month and the highest number recorded since September 2021.
Young people now account for almost 24 per cent of Warrington’s total claimant count.
The figures also show that the number of younger claimants has risen substantially over the past year, from 730 in August 2025 to 865 in August 2026.
There is normally some seasonal movement in August as school and college leavers enter the labour market, but the figures show the number of young claimants in Warrington has also risen significantly over the longer term.
Despite the increase, Warrington’s claimant rate remains comparatively low by North West standards.
The ONS/Nomis figures show Warrington at 2.7 per cent, compared with 4.2 per cent across the North West.
The figures for neighbouring areas include Cheshire East at 2.4 per cent, Cheshire West and Chester at 2.6 per cent, Trafford at 3.0 per cent, Wigan at 3.6 per cent, St Helens at 3.7 per cent and Halton at 4.3 per cent.
However, Warrington’s annual increase of around 6.6 per cent is among the larger increases recorded across the North West.
The ONS stresses that the Claimant Count should not be interpreted as the official unemployment rate.
It measures people claiming benefits principally because they are unemployed, including people receiving Universal Credit who are required to look for work.
The broader unemployment rate is calculated using the Labour Force Survey and follows the International Labour Organisation definition of unemployment.
The latest figures therefore provide an important indicator of the local labour market, but do not mean that 3,655 people in Warrington are necessarily unemployed under the wider statistical definition.
1 Comment
no decent paid jobs in warrington so stay on the dole