BRADFORD’S unemployment rate should be three times higher than official figures suggest, a new report out today claims.

The annual Cities Outlook report from Centre for Cities focuses on “economic inactivity” and how many more people are out of work than official Government unemployment figures currently show.

When including the thousands of people classed as economically inactive, Bradford’s unemployment rate rises from 5.1 per cent to 14.8 per cent.

It means “hidden unemployment” in Bradford is the fourth highest across cities or towns in Yorkshire.

This is above the rate for Yorkshire which rises from 4.1 per cent to 13.8 per cent when including the economically inactive.

Only Hull (19.4 per cent), Barnsley (19.3 per cent) and Doncaster (18.4 per cent) are above Bradford in the regional table – leaving the city ranked highest in West Yorkshire.

Regionally official figures currently show Yorkshire’s jobseeker rate at 4.1 per cent, the actual “hidden” unemployment rate is more than three times higher at 13.8 per cent.

The Government data does not include nearly 300,000 people who are involuntarily out of work but classed as economically inactive, according to Cities Outlook - Centre for Cities’ annual economic assessment of the UK’s largest urban areas.

This is because the official rate only includes those who are actively looking for jobs and does not measure people who are neither in work nor looking for a job due to circumstances outside of their control.

The involuntary inactivity rate discounts students, retirees and people looking after family.

People in the involuntary inactivity category may leave the labour market and stop looking for a job if they are discouraged, believe there are no jobs (or no good jobs) available, or cannot work because of health issues.

All of Yorkshire’s cities have hidden employment rates higher than the national average, excluding York, which has one of the lowest rates in the UK.

Centre for Cities chief executive Andrew Carter said: “Since the pandemic we have seen lots of headlines alluding to record-low numbers of job seekers but Cities Outlook shows there is actually a jobs shortage, with a significant North-South divide in involuntary inactivity rates.

“With the UK now likely to enter a recession, the Government must address its insufficient action on levelling up so far and act swiftly to create more opportunities that get people back into the North’s labour force.

“This will require setting out and implementing an agenda that delivers much-needed investments in skills and public services, while supporting job creation in struggling places.”

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