The Office for National Statistics (ONS) regional presence in the West Midlands has been hosted at the Observatory since 2007.
One of their key functions is to provide wider access to ONS or Government Statistical Service data to the West Midlands.
Statistical highlights from the ONS to August 2010
Labour market statistics for the West Midlands: August 2010
The latest data (released 11th August 2010) covers the three months to June 2010 and includes the claimant data for July 2010, highlighting how the West Midlands and the rest of the nation are progressing in recovery from the recent recession.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.3%, down 2.4 percentage points year-on-year (UK=7.8%, no change), and down 1.0 percentage points quarter-on-quarter (UK was down 0.2 percentage points).
The West Midlands had the fourth highest rate of unemployment of the English regions, with the North East the highest at 9.4%.
The data to June 2010 indicates that the total number of people unemployed in the West Midlands stands at 221,000, down 66,000 year-on-year, and down 27,000 on the previous quarter.
The total number of people unemployed in the UK was 2,457,000 in June 2010, down 49,000 on the previous quarter and up 23,000 year-on-year.
The Economic Inactivity rate in the West Midlands was 24.3% in June 2010, up 1.0 percentage points year-on-year (UK=23.4% up 0.3 percentage points), and up 0.2 percentage points on the previous quarter (UK was down 0.2 percentage points).
Jobcentre Plus data for July 2010 indicates that the claimant count rate stands at 5.8% (159,400) in the West Midlands. This is the second highest rate amongst the nine English regions, with the North East the highest at 6.6% (UK=4.5%).
Read the national report (August 2010) (pdf, 327kb)
Regional monthly data (August 2010) (zip, 2.9mb)
Local Authority profiles are available, which include the latest Labour Market Statistics produced by the NOMIS data website, and can be accessed through links in this spreadsheet:
Local Authority Profiles list (xls, 73kb)
ONS Local Profiles data CD now available
Issued 31st March 2010
The ONS have created and made available a free CD with local data profiles.
These Local Profiles have been developed by the ONS Centre for Regional and Local Statistics and represent a significant milestone in providing local authorities with the means to gain value from official statistics. They will help authorities to better understand the economic, social and environmental picture for their area.
The first set of Profiles are included as part of an ONS toolkit, available on CD, that will be of great use to local authorities when preparing their Local Economic Assessments, in addition to many other users of official statistics.
The toolkit also contains commuting data, the small area Change over Time Analysis Viewer, Inter Departmental Business Register data, and the Atlas of Deprivation.
Find out how to obtain a free Local Profiles CD from the ONS:
Local Profiles page on Neighbourhood Statistics website
Local Profiles leaflet (pdf, 172kb)
Regional and sub regional Gross Disposable Household Income estimates (2008)
Issued March 2010
The latest regional Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) estimates for 2008 indicate that the West Midlands has produced a 3.8% growth in GDHI per head. This is in line with the growth seen in both England and the UK, and takes regional GDHI from £12,800 in 2007 (revised) to £13,300 in 2008.
Overall the West Midlands is ranked seventh amongst the nine English regions, with only Yorkshire & Humberside and North East recording a lower GDHI per head figure.
In total, regional GDHI for the West Midlands in 2008 was £72.2bn, an increase on 2007 (revised) of £3.0bn.
Data for NUTS2 and NUTS3 areas has also been released for 2008.
For NUTS2, Shropshire & Staffordshire produced the strongest annual growth in the West Midlands region, with GDHI per head up 4.2% to £13,800 in 2008.
The West Midlands (metropolitan) was ranked the lowest of all 37 NUTS2 sub-regions in the UK, with a GDHI per head of £12,100, and 3.9% annual growth.
For NUTS3, Solihull remains the strongest performer in the West Midlands region, with a GDHI per head of £16,200 in 2008 (Indexed at 109, where UK=100), followed by Warwickshire (+6%) and Worcestershire (+2%).
Read the West Midlands report (pdf, 120kb)
Read the national report (pdf, 164kb)
NUTS3 GDHI interactive map
NUTS1 GDHI interactive map
West Midlands results from the Living Costs & Food Survey: 2009 Edition
The 2009 edition of Family Spending, reporting on the Living Costs & Food Survey, has been released by the ONS. The survey is based on a sample of approximately 5,300 households in Great Britain.
Average weekly household gross income was £622 in the West Midlands, 9 per cent below the England average. Average weekly total expenditure per household was £437, 6 per cent lower than the England average.
The category with the largest household expenditure in the West Midlands was Transport at £59.60, 5% below the England average.
Read the West Midlands report (pdf, 55kb)
Improvements to Migration & Population Statistics in the West Midlands
Issued January 2010
The ONS have produced adjusted population estimates for local authorities between 2002 and 2008. These use a new methodology for the estimation of internal student migration along with a new methodology for the apportionment of international migration amongst local authorities.
At the regional level in the West Midlands (pdf, 100kb), adjustments have been relatively small, with a cumulative decrease in 2008 of 4,000 (-0.1%).
Some of the largest total changes were in Birmingham, with an upward revision of 3,500 in 2008 (revised estimated population of 1,016,800), mainly due to student migration adjustment.
In Wolverhampton there was a downward revision of 2,800 (revised estimated population of 236,400) mainly due to a downward adjustment in the estimated balance of international migration.
In percentage terms, the largest increase was in Rugby, with an increase of 1.3% due to adjustments in the balance of international migration.
The largest downward revision was in Shropshire, with a decrease of 1.2%, the largest contributing factor being an adjustment of student migration.
The ONS is consulting local authorities regarding the revised population figures until the end of January 2010. Final data, which will include any further adjustments resulting from the consultation, will be released in May 2010.
Read the West Midlands report (pdf, 100kb)
Information about these revisions from the ONS website
Regional Short Term Indicators Pilot
Issued January 2010
The Regional Short Term Indicators comprise quarterly constant price seasonally adjusted indices (where Q4 2005 = 100) covering Q4 2005 to Q2 2009 and provide an early view of the impact of the recession on industries in the West Midlands.
These pilot results are highly experimental, not of National Statistics quality, and users should exercise caution in the interpretation of the statistics.
The data for the West Midlands shows that the decline in Market Services commenced in Q2 2008 in the West Midlands, one quarter ahead of the UK as a whole.
Through 2007, whilst Market Services saw steady growth in the UK as a whole, growth had already flattened in the West Midlands. In the region, the index for Market Services declined from a peak of 106 in Q1 2006 to 97 in Q2 2009.
The decline in Production in the West Midlands commenced in Q1 2008, and was particularly rapid between Q3 2008 and Q1 2009. The indexed value for Production declined from a peak of 102 in Q1 2006 to 73 in Q2 2009, a more severe decline than observed amongst Market Services
View the West Midlands data (ppt, 865kb)
View the Regional Economies article (pdf, 234kb)
Wealth and Assets Survey 2006/2008: West Midlands results
Issued December 2009
The Wealth and Assets Survey for July 2006 to July 2008 show that the West Midlands was ranked sixth amongst the eleven regions and countries of Great Britain for household median Total Wealth, which is the value of accumulated assets less the value of acummulated liabilities.
Median Total Wealth in the West Midlands was £187,700 per household (which includes private pensions), compared to £204,500 for the whole of Great Britain.
The West Midlands had the lowest levels of Borrowing & Arrears (which includes all debt apart from mortgage borrowing) of any English region, at £2,200. This compares to £2,700 for Great Britain as a whole.
Read the West Midlands report (doc, 109kb)
Read the national report (pdf, 819kb)
Regional and sub regional GVA estimates (2008 & 2007)
Issued December 2009
The latest regional GVA estimates, for 2008, indicate that the West Midlands has produced 2.5% growth in GVA per head, taking it from £17,000 in 2007 (revised) to £17,500 in 2008.
Overall the West Midlands is ranked seventh amongst the nine regions, with only Yorkshire & Humberside and North East recording a lower GVA per head figure. In total, regional GVA for the West Midlands in 2008 was £94.5bn, an increase on 2007 (revised) of £2.8bn.
Data for NUTS2 and NUTS3 areas, and industrial components, has also been released for 2007.
For NUTS2, Shropshire & Staffordshire produced the strongest annual growth in the West Midlands region up 4.6% to £15,100 in 2007.
For NUTS3, Solihull remains the only area in the West Midlands to outperform the UK average, with a GVA per head of £22,600 in 2007 (indexed at 113, where UK=100).
Read the West Midlands report (pdf, 143kb)
Read the national report (pdf, 219kb)
The labour market across the UK in the current recession
Issued November 2009
The Labour Market across the UK in the current recession (pdf, 1.54mb) shows that Manufacturing & Construction have been the worst hit sectors in the latest recession with the highest redundancy rates and the largest falls in jobs.
With a large manufacturing base, the West Midlands has seen the largest fall in jobs of any region, and the highest unemployment rates.
Read the report (pdf, 1.54mb)
Mid-2008 national population estimates
Issued August 2009
The population of the West Midlands grew to over 5.4 million in 2008, according to the latest population estimates released by the Office for National Statistics.
With a population of 5.411 million, the region's population grew by 0.5% (29,000) on the preceding year. Natural change (births minus deaths) was the most significant contributor to the growth at 20,000, whereas net migration accounted for the remainder (9,000).
Locally in the West Midlands, the most significant increase in population (in absolute terms) were recorded in Birmingham (up 7,000 to 1.017 million), and Coventry (up 3,000 to 310,000). With an increase in population on the preceding year of 1%, Coventry also recorded the largest rate of increase.
Across the United Kingdom, the population grew to 61.383 million in 2008, an increase of 0.7% on the preceding year, with natural change contributing 221,000 and net migration 187,000.
A detailed breakdown of all the latest population statistics for 2008 is available from the ONS.
National statistician's article: measuring regional economic performance
Issued January 2009
This article aims to inform the discussion about the limitations of regional GVA per head in measuring the productivity of a region and the income of its residents, as GVA is currently one of the headline indicators used in UK and regional policy. It proposes a series of indicators which can help to measure regional productivity and income more robustly and inform regional policy more widely.
Read the full report (pdf, 1.6mb)