GeraJobs / Gera Employment Index / West Midlands
West Midlands — Employment & Unemployment Rate
West Midlands's labour market in real ONS figures, ranked #9 of 12 UK regions by the Gera Employment Index (97.8, UK = 100).
What is the unemployment rate in West Midlands, and how does it compare to the UK?
As of December 2025 to February 2026 (ONS, published 21 April 2026), West Midlands has an employment rate of 73.4%, an unemployment rate of 5.5% and an economic inactivity rate of 22.1% — a Gera Employment Index of 97.8 (UK = 100), below the UK. Real ONS rates under OGL v3.0; GeraJobs re-dates monthly.
Gera Employment Index
West Midlands's labour-market health vs the UK (rank #9 of 12). Below the UK average.
How this is calculatedWest Midlands labour-market indicators vs the UK
| Indicator | West Midlands | UK | vs UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate (16–64) | 73.4% | 75.0% | −1.6pp |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.5% | 4.9% | +0.6pp |
| Economic inactivity (16–64) | 22.1% | 21.0% | +1.1pp |
ONS, seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026. Gera Employment Index = 100 + employment surplus (−1.6pp) − unemployment gap (+0.6pp).
Compare any UK region's labour market
Pick a region to see its real ONS employment, unemployment and economic inactivity rates against the UK average, with its Gera Employment Index.
| Indicator | West Midlands | UK | vs UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate (16–64) | 73.4% | 75.0% | −1.6pp |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.5% | 4.9% | +0.6pp |
| Economic inactivity (16–64) | 22.1% | 21.0% | +1.1pp |
The Gera Employment Index for West Midlands is 97.8 (UK = 100) — a weaker-than-UK labour market. That is 100 −1.6pp employment surplus minus +0.6pp unemployment gap.
Browse live jobs in West MidlandsWest Midlands labour market — FAQ
- What is the unemployment rate in West Midlands?
- The unemployment rate in West Midlands is 5.5% (aged 16+, seasonally adjusted), compared to the UK average of 4.9% — a gap of +0.6pp. This is a real ONS figure for December 2025 to February 2026, not an estimate.
- What is the employment rate in West Midlands?
- The employment rate in West Midlands is 73.4% (aged 16–64, seasonally adjusted), against a UK average of 75.0% — −1.6pp versus the UK. The economic inactivity rate is 22.1%.
- What is the Gera Employment Index for West Midlands?
- The Gera Employment Index for West Midlands is 97.8 (UK = 100), meaning its labour market is below the UK. It is computed as 100 plus the employment surplus (−1.6pp) minus the unemployment gap (+0.6pp), both real ONS percentage points.
- Is the West Midlands labour-market figure real ONS data?
- Yes. The West Midlands rates are taken directly from the ONS "Labour market in the regions of the UK: April 2026" bulletin (Table 1, seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026, OGL v3.0). No figure is modelled or interpolated.
How the Gera Employment Index is calculated
The index starts at 100 (the UK average), adds West Midlands's employment-rate advantage over the UK (−1.6pp) and subtracts its unemployment-rate disadvantage (+0.6pp), giving 97.8 (UK = 100). Every input is a real published ONS estimate (Table 1 — headline Labour Force Survey indicators (seasonally adjusted), December 2025 to February 2026); nothing is modelled or interpolated. See all UK regions ranked.
Get West Midlands labour-market updates
ONS publishes regional labour-market figures monthly. Save your email and we’ll send the refreshed figures for this region when ONS releases new data.
Related on GeraJobs
Source: ONS Labour market in the regions of the UK: April 2026, Table 1 — headline Labour Force Survey indicators (seasonally adjusted). Figures are seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026 reference period, released 21 April 2026. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The Gera Employment Index is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.