Upcoming changes to datasets and geographies

Over the next few months, we will be updating the Claimant Count and Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) datasets to reflect the new statistical geography building blocks based on the 2021 Censuses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the 2022 Census in Scotland.

As part of this work ONS have reviewed the datasets and geographies that we hold on Nomis, in conjunction with DWP, to consider which ones are appropriate to build from new geographies.

Based on JSA datasets only representing a small proportion of people claiming unemployment related benefits and the usage statistics for these datasets, we are intending to only recreate the main datasets based on just JSA claimants that have significant levels of usage.

This does not affect Claimant Count datasets, that are based on a combination of JSA and Universal Credit information, which will all be moved across onto new geographies.

We will also, with DWP agreement, stop publishing data for the live Jobcentre Plus offices geography, and we will no longer update the geographies for Jobcentre Plus Groups or Districts, which have principally been used in the past for DWP management information purposes.

Datasets to be retained. These will continue to be updated monthly:

  • Claimant count by sex and age
  • Claimant Count - seasonally adjusted
  • Jobseeker's Allowance with rates and proportions
  • Jobseeker's Allowance by age and duration
  • Jobseeker's Allowance by age and duration with proportions

JSA Datasets to be discontinued. These will remain available but will no longer be updated:

  • Jobseeker's Allowance - seasonally adjusted
  • Jobseeker's Allowance by occupation
  • Jobseeker's Allowance by occupation, age and duration
  • Jobseeker's Allowance flows
  • Jobseeker's Allowance flows - seasonally adjusted
  • Jobseeker's Allowance flows by age and duration
  • Jobseeker's Allowance flows by occupation
  • Jobseeker's Allowance off-flows by occupation, age and duration
  • Jobseeker's Allowance off-flows by reason and occupation
  • Jobseeker's Allowance off-flows by reason, age and duration
  • Jobseeker's Allowance off-flows by reason, occupation, age and duration
  • Jobseeker's Allowance on-flows by occupation and age
  • Jobseeker's Allowance stocks and flows by ethnicity, age and duration