Local employment news
National employment news
- UK unemployment remained elevated: The UK unemployment rate was estimated at 4.9% in March to May 2026, with earlier 2026 releases showing unemployment around 5.0% to 5.1%, indicating a softer national labour market.
- Payroll employment continued to weaken: Payrolled employees fell by around 85,000 year-on-year to May 2026, and the early estimate for June 2026 also showed a year-on-year decline.
- Youth unemployment became a key concern: Youth unemployment rose sharply in 2026, with 743,000 people aged 16 to 24 unemployed in March to May 2026, up by 112,000 year to date.
- Retail and hospitality employment remained under pressure: Early 2026 labour-market commentary highlighted notable payroll falls in retail and hospitality, reflecting weaker hiring conditions in consumer facing sectors.
- The 80% employment rate ambition faced pressure: The UK employment rate was estimated at 75.1% in March to May 2026, leaving a significant gap to the government’s longer term 80% employment rate ambition.
Local employment news
- As of 2025, the population in Ashfield increased by 2.5% since 2020, growing by 3183. Population is expected to increase by 0.9% between 2025 and 2030, adding 1227.
- From 2020 to 2025, jobs increased by 8.5% in Ashfield from 51,089 to 55,440. This change outpaced the national growth rate of 7.4% by 1.1%.
- Concerning educational attainment, 34.7% of Ashfield residents possess a Higher Education - NVQ4+ SCQF L7-9 (12.4% below the national average), and 20.3% hold a NVQ 3 - SCQF L6 (0.4% above the national average).
The top 3 industries in 2026 are Human health and social work activities, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade. - Ashfield's revised 2026 Labour Force figures show that we have 8.9 percent (or 5800 people), of working age seeking work. This is higher than other neighbouring local authorities as well as the national average of 4.2% (Nomis).
- As of 2025, Ashfield's average salary of £34,118 is lower than England's national average salary of £38,948.
- Ashfield's average weekly hours worked of 37.5 hours is the same as England's which is 37.5 hours per week.
These are occupation tables for Ashfield. Here you can see roles within Ashfield (1 Digit SOC) within table A, which displays jobs within each occupation, expected growth, and average annual salary. In Table B, occupations with a higher than the average salary or competitive wage compared to the national average are displayed. You can also see the current number of jobs within each role and the projected number of jobs in 2035.
Table A: Occupational breakdown of Ashfield
| Description (1 Digit standard occupational classification) | Jobs in 2026 | Projected jobs in 2035 | 2026 to 2035 change | 2026 to 2035 percentage change | Average annual salary (Ashfield) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, directors and senior officials | 4935 | 5026 | 91 | 1.8% | £48,099 |
| Professional occupations | 12,600 | 12,832 | 232 | 1.8% | £43,312 |
| Associate professional occupations | 5852 | 5863 | 11 | 0.2% | £32,504 |
| Administrative and secretarial occupations | 6237 | 6458 | 221 | 3.5% | £23,350 |
| Skilled trade occupations | 4669 | 4660 | -9 | -0.2% | £33,574 |
| Caring, leisure and other service occupations | 4739 | 4764 | 25 | 0.5% | £22,131 |
| Sales and customer service occupations | 3175 | 3129 | -46 | -1.4% | £21,549 |
| Process, plant and machine operative | 4755 | 4850 | 95 | 2.0% | £32,320 |
| Elementary occupations | 8756 | 9051 | 295 | 3.4% | £20,217 |
Source: LightCast
Table B: Top occupations by wages compared to national
| Description (2 Digit standard occupational classification) | Jobs in 2026 | Projected jobs in 2035 | 2026 to 2035 percentage change | Average annual salary (Ashfield) | Average annual salary (National) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health professionals | 5966 | 6169 | 3.4% | £44,924 | £44,572 |
| Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades in Ashfield | 2225 | 2224 | 0.0% | £38,909 | £38,912 |
| Caring personal service occupations | 4054 | 4040 | -0.3% | £22,481 | £22,110 |
| Sales occupations | 2417 | 2363 | -2.2% | £19,996 | £18,151 |
| Customer service occupations | 758 | 766 | 1.1% | £26,549 | £26,398 |
| Process, plant and machine operatives | 2031 | 2008 | -1.1% | £31,166 | £30,684 |
| Elementary trades and related occupations | 1179 | 1203 | 2.0% | £27,334 | £26,740 |
| Elementary administration and service occupations | 7577 | 7848 | 3.6% | £19,103 | £17,081 |
Source: LightCast
Ashfield District Council's Business Support Team monitors economic intelligence from several sources.
These include:
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Page last updated 27 July 2026
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