RELEASE 5: LABOUR MARKET AND TRAVEL TO WORK
On the 8th December 2022, the Office for National Statistics released detailed univariate data from the 2021 Census covering the theme of ‘Labour Market and Travel to Work’.
This release includes three key areas of data:
Economic Activity Status | Economic Activity Status Hours Worked Employment History |
Output Area (OA) Output Area (OA) Output Area (OA) |
Travel to Work | Method of Travel to Work Distance Travelled to Work |
Output Area (OA) Output Area (OA) |
Industry and Occupation | Industry National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) Occupation Occupation – Minor Groups |
Middle Super Output Area (MSOA) Output Area (OA) Output Area (OA) Middle Super Output Area (MSOA) |
The data can be accessed on the Data Observatory via the updated Economy and Employment Profile or via the Data Explorer.
To find out more about how to view this data in the Data Observatory please see our dedicated Census Phase 1 Update
You can also can access the data directly from the ONS website HERE
Below you will find summary information for Hull which includes, for each of the three key areas listed above:
- A summary infographic
- Headline results
- Maps of useful datasets at Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) Level
IMPORTANT NOTE: Census 2021 took place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a period of unparalleled and rapid change; the national lockdown, associated guidance and furlough measures will have affected the labour market topic. Take care when using these data for planning and policy purposes.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY STATUS
Summary Infographic: Economic Activity Status
- At Census Day, 21 March 2021, 128,155 usual residents aged 16 years and over in Hull were economically active (59.9%), while 85,720 (40.1%) were economically inactive.
- Among usual residents aged 16 years and over, almost half were employees (49.4%, 105,645), almost 1 in 20 were self-employed (5.7%, 12,143) and a further 4.8% (10,367) were unemployed but looking for work.
- Nearly a fifth of usual residents aged 16 years and over were economically inactive because of retirement (18.0%, 38,511).
- economically active: in employment (an employee or self-employed)
- economically active: unemployed (those who were looking for work and could start within two weeks, or waiting to start a job that had been offered and accepted)
- economically inactive (those who did not have a job between 15 March and 21 March 2021 and had not looked for work between 22 February and 21 March 2021 or could not start work within two weeks)
- an employee (those who did paid work for a private individual, organisation or business)
- self-employed or freelance (those who owned and operated their own business, professional practice, or similar enterprise)
- not looking for work
- looking for work, but were not able to start work in the next two weeks
- 83,097 usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment (70.5%) worked full time (31 hours or more a week)
- The percentage working full time was similar in England (70.2%)
- 73,103 people worked 31 to 48 hours per week (62.1%) and 9,994 worked 49 hours or more a week (8.5%)
- The proportion of people working 49 or more hours a week was higher in England (11.1%)
- The remaining 34,692 (29.5%) of usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment in Hull worked part time (up to 30 hours a week)
- 9,459 (8.0%) worked 15 hours or less a week and 25,233 (21.4%) worked 16 to 30 hours a week
- The proportion of usual residents aged 16 years and over working 15 hours or less was greater in England (10.3%)
- last did paid work within the last 12 months (12.6% of all usual residents aged 16 years and over not in employment, 12,135)
- last did paid work more than 12 months ago (55.8%, 53,599)
- have never worked (31.6%, 30,354)
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SUMMARY
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DETAIL
In Census 2021, everyone completing the census aged 16 years and over was asked to answer the questions on their economic activity status. The questions asked whether a person was working or looking for work in the week before Census 2021.
There are three main types of economic activity status:
All usual residents aged 16 years and over who were in employment were able to specify if in their main job they were:
Hull (2021) | England (2021) | Hull (2011) | |
Employees | 105,645 (49.4%) | 47.7% | 101,202 (48.6%) | Self-Employed | 12,143 (5.7%) | 9.7% | 10,067 (4.8%) | Unemployed | 10,367 (4.8%) | 3.5% | 17,242 (8.3%) | Economically Inactive | 85,720 (40.1%) | 39.1% | 79,529 (38.2%) |
People aged 16 years and over were economically inactive if, in the week before Census 2021, they were not in employment, and they were:
The reason why they were inactive was recorded as being one of the following:
Hull (2021) | England (2021) | Hull (2011) | |
Retired | 38,511 (18.0%) | 21.5% | 39,286 (18.9%) | Student | 12,766 (6.0%) | 5.6% | 13,270 (6.4%) | Looking After Home or Family | 12,530 (4.8%) | 4.8% | 9,522 (4.6%) | Long-Term Sick or Disabled | 13,717 (6.4%) | 4.1% | 11,840 (5.7%) | Other | 8,196 (3.8%) | 3.1% | 5,611 (2.7%) |
Because of the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the UK labour market, in some areas the estimated number of people who were economically inactive might be higher than anticipated. It is possible that some people on furlough may have identified as economically inactive, instead of temporarily away from work.
All usual residents aged 16 years and over who were in employment were asked how many hours a week they usually worked, including paid and unpaid overtime.
Furlough, and businesses being open for reduced hours in England and Wales at the time of the 2021 Census because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, may have led to people reporting more, or fewer, hours worked than pre-coronavirus.
In Hull:
All usual residents aged 16 years and over who were either economically active and unemployed, or economically inactive were asked whether they had ever done any paid work.
This meant that people in Hull who were not in employment during Census 2021 could be divided into three categories:
In Hull, a larger percentage of the usual resident population aged 16 years and over not in employment had never worked (31.6%) than in England (25.6%).
2021 Census Map: 16+ Population Who Are Employees (LSOA)
2021 Census Map: 16+ Population Who Are Self Employed (LSOA)
2021 Census Map: 16+ Population Who Are Unemployed (LSOA)
2021 Census Map: 16+ Population Who Are Economically Inactive (LSOA)
2021 Census Map: 16+ Population Who Have Never Worked (LSOA)
TRAVEL TO WORK
Summary Infographic: Travel to Work
- Census 2021 estimates that 15,534 (13.2%) usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment in Hull worked mainly at or from home in the week before Census Day, 21 March 2021.
- 102,255 usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment (86.8%) gave a method other than “at or from home”.
- The most selected mode of travel to work was driving a car or a van (61,237, 59.9% of all usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment who do not work at home).
- The majority of people in Hull travelling to work travel between 2km and 5km (32,635, 37.9% of all usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment who do not work at home / offshore / NFA or aborad).
- 61,237 people travelled to work by driving a car or van (59.9% of all usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment who don’t work from home)
- 9,104 million travelled as passengers in a car or van (8.9%)
- Whilst the proportion of journeys to work in Hull by motor vehicle is broadly in line with the national figure, there has been a notable increase since 2011.
- At the same time there has been a decrease in journeys by public transport, bicycle and foot
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SUMMARY
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DETAIL
In 2021, 117,789 usual residents in Hull aged 16 years and over were in employment during the week leading up to Census Day, 21 March 2021.
On the Census 2021 form, people who were in employment or temporarily away from work in the week before Census Day were asked “How do you usually travel to work?”. People were asked to select one mode of transport that they used for the longest part, by distance, of their usual journey to work.
In total, there were an estimated 15,534 people in England and Wales who worked mainly at, or from, their homes. This figure was 13.2% of all usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment.
This is significantly below the figure for England (31.5%) but a significant increase from 2011 when just 2,118 people in Hull (1.9%) worked mainly at, or from, their homes.
102,255 usual residents of Hull aged 16 years and over in employment (86.8%) did not work mainly at or from home. They instead specified the main mode of transport they used to reach their place of employment. It is likely that restrictions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic contributed to changes in the way people travelled to work, including fewer people using public transport.
In Hull, out of all usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment:
Hull (2021) | England (2021) | Hull (2011) | |
Car (Driver or Passenger), Motorcycle or Taxi | 72,807 (71.2%) | 72.4% | 70,245 (64.6%) | Public Transport | 9,358 (9.2%) | 11.9% | 15,279 (14.9%) | Bicycle or Foot | 18,845 (18.4%) | 14.2% | 22,358 (20.6%) | Other | 1,245 (1.2%) | 1.5% | 903 (0.8%) |
Respondents aged 16 years and over who were in employment and stated that their main place of work was a workplace or a depot were asked for their workplace address, from which the ONS calculated the distance they travelled to work.
In Hull, 86,068 people travelled to a workplace or depot (73.1% of usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment). In addition 15,534 people who worked mainly at or from home (13.2%), and a further 16,187 people worked mainly at an offshore installation, in no fixed place, or outside the UK (13.7%).
Of those travelling to a workplace or depot, 71,939 (83.6% of usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment and not working from home / offshore / NFA or abroad)) travelled short distances to work (less than 10 kilometres).
Hull (2021) | England (2021) | Hull (2011) | |
Less than 2km | 17,927 (20.8%) | 20.3% | 22,484 (23.0%) | 2km – 5km | 32,635 (37.9%) | 23.4% | 39,799 (40.8%) | 5km – 10km | 21,377 (24.8%) | 21.7% | 21,744 (23.3%) | 10km – 20km | 6,446 (7.5%) | 19.3% | 5,773 (5.9%) | 20km – 30km | 2,763 (3.2%) | 7.4% | 1,946 (2.0%) | 30km – 40km | 1,549 (1.8%) | 3.1% | 1,198 (1.2%) | 40km – 60km | 1,470 (1.7%) | 2.4% | 1,070 (1.1%) | Over 60km | 1,901 (2.2%) | 2.5% | 3,541 (3.6%) |
2021 Census Map: 16+ in Employment Mainly Working At / From Home (LSOA)
2021 Census Map: 16+ in Employment Who Travel To Work: By Motor Vehicle (LSOA)
2021 Census Map: 16+ in Employment Who Travel To Work: By Public Transport (LSOA)
2021 Census Map: 16+ in Employment Who Travel To Work: By Cycle or Foot (LSOA)
INDUSTRY AND OCCUPATION
Summary Infographic: Industry and Occupation
- In Hull, the largest number of usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment the week before Census Day, 21 March 2021, worked within the broad wholesale, retail and motor trade industry industry (18.6%, 21,856).
- Employment in the manufacturing industry in Hull (15.2%, 17,904) represents more than twice the proportion of employment than nationally (7.3%). Employment in manufacturing in Hull also saw an increase since 2011 (+6.2%) despite a decline nationally (-13.7%).
- More people were employed in elementary (15.4%, 18,137) and skilled trade (13.4%, 15,820) occupations compared with any other broad occupation categories. These occupation categories were also significantly over represented compared to nationally (10.5% and 10.2% respectively)
- The most common socio-economic classification in Hull was routine occupations (20.5% of usual residents aged 16 years and over, 43,768). Again, this was over represented compared to England (12.0%)
- wholesale, retail and motor trade (18.6% of usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment, 21,856)
- human health and social work activities (15.4%, 18,088)
- manufacturing (15.2%, 17,904)
- construction (9.2%, 10,861)
- education (8.2%, 9,636)
- retail trade (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles), which employed 12.1% (14,221) of usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment
- construction of buildings (9.2%, 10,861)
- human health (9,960, 8.5%)
- education (9,636, 8.2%)
- managers, directors and senior officials (minor groups including production managers and directors; managers and directors in retail and wholesale; chief executives and senior officials)
- professional occupations (minor groups including teaching and other educational professionals; information technology professionals; nursing and midwifery professionals)
- associate professional and technical occupations (minor groups including sales, marketing and related associate professionals; artistic, literary and media occupations; welfare and housing associate professionals)
- administrative and secretarial occupations (minor groups including secretarial and related occupations; administrative occupations in finance)
- skilled trades occupations (minor groups including construction and building trades; food preparation and hospitality trades; agricultural and related trades)
- caring, leisure and other service occupations (minor groups including caring personal services; teaching and childcare support occupations; hairdressers and related services)
- sales and customer service occupations (minor groups including sales assistants and retail cashiers; customer service occupations)
- process, plant and machine operatives (minor groups including road transport drivers; process operatives)
- elementary occupations (minor groups including elementary cleaning occupations; elementary storage occupations)
- sales assistants and retail cashiers (7.0%, 8,212)
- caring personal services (6.8%, 8,064)
- road transport drivers (4.4%, 5,175)
- elementary cleaning occupations (4.0%, 4,746)
- construction and building trades (3.7%, 4,306)
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SUMMARY
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DETAIL
In Hull, 117,789 usual residents in Hull aged 16 years and over were in employment during the week leading up to Census Day, 21 March 2021.
The broad industries that employed the largest numbers of people in Hull at the time of Census 2021 were:
The broad industry that saw the greatest increase in employment numbers in Hull was human health and social work activities (+3,189, +21.4%). This was slightly lower than the increase nationally (23.6%).
Employment in the manufacturing industry in Hull increased by 6.2% (+1,053) despite the fact that manufacturing saw one of the largest decreases nationally (-13.7%) of all broad industries.
In both Hull, and nationally, the broad industry that saw the greatest decrease in employment numbers was the arts, entertainment and recreation (-2,554, -55.0% in Hull, and -586,702, -48.6% nationally).
The industry classification can be broken down further into divisions, to provide an even more detailed overview of employment by industry. This breakdown shows that in Hull overall, large industry divisions included:
Hull (2021) | England (2021) | Hull (2011) | |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 548 (0.5%) | 0.8% | 426 (0.4%) | Mining and Quarrying | 217 (0.2%) | 0.2% | 231 (0.2%) | Manufacturing | 17,904 (15.2%) | 7.3% | 16,851 (15.2%) | Electricity, Gas, Steam and Air | 863 (0.7%) | 0.6% | 879 (0.8%) | Water, Sewerage and Waste | 832 (0.7%) | 0.7% | 707 (0.6%) | Construction | 10,861 (9.2%) | 8.7% | 9,306 (8.4%) | Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles | 21,856 (18.6%) | 15.0% | 20,353 (18.4%) | Transportation and Storage | 5,874 (5.0%) | 5.0% | 5,900 (5.3%) | Accommodation and Food Service | 6,130 (5.2%) | 4.9% | 6,959 (6.3%) | Information and Communication | 2,508 (2.1%) | 4.9% | 2,007 (1.8%) | Financial and Insurance | 1,020 (0.9%) | 3.8% | 1,148 (1.0%) | Real Estate | 1,094 (0.9%) | 1.6% | 1,019 (0.9%) | Professional, Scientific and Technical | 3,482 (3.0%) | 6.7% | 3,540 (3.2%) | Admin and Support Services |
6,742 (5.7%) | 5.3% | 6,394 (5.8%) | Public Admin and Defence | 5,863 (5.0%) | 5.8% | 6,328 (5.7%) | Education | 9,636 (8.2%) | 9.9% | 9,240 (8.3%) | Human Health and Social Work/strong> | 18,088 (15.4%) | 14.6% | 14,899 (13.4%) | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | 2,091 (1.8%) | 2.3% | 4,645 (4.2%) |
In Census 2021, respondents aged 16 years and over were asked for their full job titles (for their main job, or if not working their last main job) and the main activity of their employer. The answers they gave were coded using the Standard Occupational Classification 2020.
These included nine high-level occupational categories:
In Hull, 15.4% of all usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment were employed in elementary occupations (18,137), and 13.4% were employed in skilled trades (15,820) making these the largest broad occupation categories. In addition, 12.4% were employed in process, plant and machine operative occupations (14,573) and 12.4% were employed in professional occupations (14,577).
In Hull employment is skewed towards the lower occupational levels but there has been an upward shift over the last 10 years.
Hull (2021) | England (2021) | Hull (2011) | |
1. Managers, directors and senior officials | 8,253 (7.0%) | 12.9% | 7,344 (6.6%) | 2. Professional occupations | 14,577 (12.4%) | 20.3% | 11,635 (10.5%) | 3. Associate professional and technical occupations | 11,961 (10.2%) | 13.3% | 10,421 (9.4%) | 4. Administrative and secretarial occupations | 9,378 (8.0%) | 9.3% | 11,054 (9.9%) | 5. Skilled trades occupations | 15,820 (13.4%) | 10.2% | 15,572 (14.0%) | 6. Caring, leisure and other service occupations | 13,117 (11.1%) | 9.3% | 11,602 (10.4%) | 7. Sales and customer service occupations | 11,993 (10.2%) | 7.5% | 12,656 (11.4%) | 8. Process, plant and machine operatives | 14,573 (12.4%) | 6.9% | 12,578 (11.3%) | 9. Elementary occupations | 18,137 (15.4%) | 10.5% | 18,407 (16.5%) |
Data is available broken down into 104 more detailed minor occupational categories. In Hull, the minor occupational groups with the largest numbers of usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment included:
The National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) provides an indication of socio-economic position, based on responses to economic activity status, occupation and employment history questions in Census 2021. It is an Office for National Statistics standard classification.
In Hull, all usual residents aged 16 years and over were coded to one of the following broad NS-SEC categories:
Hull (2021) | England (2021) | |
L1, L2 and L3: Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations/strong> | 11,743 (5.5%) | 13.2% | L4, L5 and L6: Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations | 30,582 (14.3%) | 19.9% | L7: Intermediate occupations | 21,466 (10.0%) | 11.4% | L8 and L9: Small employers and own account workers | 14,692 (6.9%) | 10.6% | L10 and L11: Lower supervisory and technical occupations | 15,852 (7.4%) | 5.3% | L12: Semi-routine occupations | 32,397 (15.1%) | 11.3% | L13: Routine occupations | 43,768 (20.5%) | 12.0% | L14.1 and L14.2: Never worked and long-term unemployed | 25,766 (12.0%) | 8.5% | L15: Full-time students | 17,611 (8.2%) | 7.7% |
2021 Census Map: 16+ in Employment In Higher Occupation Groups (Groups 1, 2 and 3) (LSOA)
2021 Census Map: 16+ in Employment In Lower Occupation Groups (Groups 7, 8 and 9) (LSOA)