245 people aged 16 to 24 were claiming jobless benefits in Harborough district in September, the most since July 2021 and up 48% in two years. The total barely moved.
More young people are claiming unemployment-related benefits in Harborough district than at any point in the last five years.
The ONS claimant count, published this morning, puts the number of claimants aged 16 to 24 at 245 in September 2026. That is the highest monthly figure since July 2021, when the count was still falling back from the pandemic peak.
The district’s overall count hardly changed. It stood at 1,100, against 1,090 a year earlier. That is 1.8% of residents aged 16 to 64, still less than half the UK rate of 3.9%.
Young claimants up by half in two years
September is the right month to compare. The under-25 count rises every late summer as school, college and university leavers start looking for work, so comparing one September with the last strips out that seasonal bump.
On that basis the September figures for 16 to 24 year olds in Harborough district were:
- 2019: 115, before the pandemic
- 2020: 410, the Covid peak
- 2021: 220
- 2022: 155
- 2023: 160
- 2024: 165
- 2025: 215
- 2026: 245
So the count has risen by 80, or 48%, since September 2024. Over the past year it rose by 30, or 14%. (Nomis, claimant count by age for Harborough, retrieved 21 October 2026)
The ONS rounds each figure to the nearest five. On a base this small, a single month can move by 10 or 15 for no real reason. A two-year climb of 80 is not that kind of noise.
Faster than the county and the country
Young claimant numbers are rising almost everywhere. They are rising faster here.
| Area | Aged 16 to 24, Sept 2024 | Sept 2025 | Sept 2026 | Change in two years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harborough district | 165 | 215 | 245 | up 48% |
| Leicestershire | 1,990 | 2,250 | 2,510 | up 26% |
| United Kingdom | 290,865 | 312,835 | 346,050 | up 19% |
Under-25s now make up 22% of everyone claiming in the district. Two years ago they were 15%.
Older age groups moved in different directions. Claimants aged 25 to 49 fell from 625 to 565 over the past year. Those aged 50 and over rose from 250 to 295.
What the claimant count measures
The count covers people on Jobseeker’s Allowance plus those on Universal Credit who are required to look for work. It is not the official unemployment rate, which the ONS does not publish monthly for districts. It is the only jobs figure that is, which makes it the best regular signal for Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Kibworth, Broughton Astley and the villages.
Figures are revised. June’s total, which we reported in August as 1,050, now reads 1,045.
What it means for you
Harborough is still one of the easier places in the region to be looking for work. About one working-age resident in 56 is claiming, against one in 29 across the East Midlands.
The squeeze falls on the youngest. A school or college leaver here is now competing with more claimants of their own age than at any time since 2021.
If you have lost work or had your hours cut:
- claim Universal Credit online; it is the main route into support
- low-income households can apply for Council Tax Reduction, which cuts the bill rather than paying cash; our council tax bands page shows what each band pays
- the National Careers Service offers free advice on jobs, training and apprenticeships for anyone 13 and over
The October figures are due from the ONS in November. We will report them when they appear on Nomis.
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