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Income, Employment and the Economy

Summary Points
  • At £364 per week, the average weekly income in Merthyr Tydfil is lower than both the Welsh average £404 per week and the Great Britain average of £458.
  • There were 9895 benefit claimants of working age in Merthyr Tydfil (27.7% of the eligible population) in August 2007 which is  higher than the Welsh average (18.8%) and almost twice the rate of Great Britain as a whole (14.2%).  

  • The largest proportion of benefit claims is for Incapacity Benefit at 61%.

  • 7.4% of economically active persons aged 16 – 74 in Merthyr Tydfil are unemployed compared to the Wales average of 5.7%.

Income and socio-economic factors are perhaps the most important determinants of health in the United Kingdom. This is because they have a direct bearing on many of the other determinants. Key amongst these are income, employment & poverty.

Income

At £364 per week, the average weekly income in Merthyr Tydfil is lower than both the Welsh average £404 per week and the Great Britain average of £458.

 

 

Earnings by Workplace 2007

Source: ONS annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis

Benefits Data Indicators: Working Age Client Group

 

There were 9895 working age claimants in Merthyr Tydfil (27.7% of the eligible population) in August 2007 which is higher than the Welsh average (18.8%) and almost twice the rate of Great Britain as a whole (14.2%).

Of these;

  • 13% are claiming Jobseekers allowance, the same as the Welsh average.
  • 61% are claiming Incapacity benefit compared to 58% for Wales.
  • 12% are claiming Income support as lone parents as opposed to  11% for Wales.
  • 6% are claiming Carers allowance with 5% the Wales average.
  • 5% are disabled compared to 6% for Wales.

 

 

 

 

Proportion of the working-age population in receipt of out-of-work benefits (by Ward in Merthyr Tydfil]

 

 

 

Lone parent households with dependent children:

 

In the 2001 census there were 2231 lone parents with dependent children living in Merthyr Tydfil.

Of these 153 (6.9%) were men and 2078 (93.1%) were women.

 

Of the men, 40.5% were in full time employment and 2.6% in part time employment, whereas 13.5% of women were in full time employment and 23% in part time employment.

 

 

Economic Activity: (From 2001 Census)

 

Merthyr Tydfil

Wales

Economically Active:persons(16–74yrs)

54.3%

61%

Economically Active: employee

44.3%

47.5%

of which:
Part Time

22.7%

23.8%

Full Time

77.3%

76.2%

Economically Active: Unemployed

7.4%

5.7%

Economically Active: Full time students

3%

3.8%

Economically Inactive: persons (16 – 74yrs)

45.7%

39%

of which; Economically Inactive: Retired

30.5%

38%

Economically Inactive: Student

9.2%

13.1%

Economically Inactive: Looking after home/family

15%

16.4%

Economically Inactive: Permanently sick/ disabled

34.9%

23.6%

Economically Inactive: Other

10.4%

8.9%

 

 

  

7.4% of economically active persons aged 16 – 74 in Merthyr Tydfil are unemployed compared to the Wales average of 5.7%.

                                                   

                                                             

                          

 Employment by Occupation [April 2006 - March 2007]                     

 

Merthyr Tydfil numbers

Merthyr Tydfil%

Wales%

Great Britain%

Soc 2000 major group 1-3

5,700

27.5

37.5

42.3

1 Managers and senior officials

1,800

8.9

12.8

15.1

2 Professional occupations

1,400

6.9

11.4

13.0

3 Associate professional & technical

2,400

11.7

13.4

14.3

Soc 2000 major group 4-5

4,900

23.8

24.5

22.9

4 Administrative & secretarial

2,500

12.3

11.7

12.0

5 Skilled trades occupations

2,400

11.5

12.9

10.9

Soc 2000 major group 6-7

4,400

21.6

17.1

15.7

6 Personal service occupations

2,800

13.4

8.9

8.1

7 Sales and customer service occs

1,700

8.1

8.2

7.6

Soc 2000 major group 8-9

5,500

26.8

20.7

18.7

8 Process plant & machine operatives

2,800

13.7

8.8

7.2

9 Elementary occupations

2,700

13.1

11.9

11.5

                                     
           

 

 

Deprivation

 

 

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