Sefton's claimant count rose 130 in September to 6,430, the highest since April 2025. Most of the rise was in Bootle; Southport's seven wards added 20.
The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Sefton rose by 130 in September 2026, to 6,430. That is 3.8 per cent of residents aged 16 to 64 (nomis, ONS Claimant Count).
It is the borough’s highest monthly figure since April 2025, when the count stood at 6,530. It is also 340 higher than in September 2025, a rise of 5.6 per cent in a year.
The rise was not spread evenly. Southport’s seven wards added 20 claimants between them. Two wards in Bootle added 55.
Sefton is climbing faster than the region over the year
On the month, Sefton moved roughly in step with everyone else. Over the year it did not.
| Area | Sep 2025 | Aug 2026 | Sep 2026 | On the month | On the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sefton | 6,090 | 6,300 | 6,430 | +2.1% | +5.6% |
| North West | 194,550 | 197,955 | 202,445 | +2.3% | +4.1% |
| Great Britain | 1,619,575 | 1,633,575 | 1,668,680 | +2.1% | +3.0% |
Sefton’s rate is still the lower one. At 3.8 per cent it sits below the North West’s 4.2 per cent and Britain’s 3.9 per cent. What has changed is the pace: over twelve months the borough’s count has grown faster than both.
The two-year shape matters. The count peaked at 6,840 in September 2024, fell for a year to 6,090 in September 2025, and has been rising since. There was a spring bump to 6,405 in March 2026 and a summer dip to 6,185 in July. September’s 6,430 is now above the spring high.
August’s figure has been cut again
Last month we reported Sefton’s August count as 6,410, the figure the ONS published at the time. The ONS has now revised August down to 6,300, a cut of 110.
It is the second month running this has happened. The first July figure, 6,295, was also cut by 110, to 6,185. So the jump we described in August was smaller than it first looked: 115, not 225.
The claimant count is routinely revised a month later, so September’s 6,430 may move too. Treat the first estimate as provisional. Even on the revised figures, though, the count is well above where it was a year ago.
Southport barely moved; Bootle carried the rise
Southport’s seven wards held 1,810 claimants in September, up 20 on the revised August total of 1,790. That is 28 per cent of the borough’s claimants.
| Ward | August | September | Change | Under 25s | Aged 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke’s | 390 | 410 | +20 | 45 | 125 |
| Kew | 310 | 305 | -5 | 75 | 75 |
| Norwood | 295 | 300 | +5 | 70 | 65 |
| Cambridge | 250 | 255 | +5 | 35 | 90 |
| Birkdale | 210 | 205 | -5 | 45 | 55 |
| Ainsdale | 195 | 190 | -5 | 45 | 45 |
| Meols | 140 | 145 | +5 | 35 | 30 |
Duke’s accounts for the whole of Southport’s increase. It is the town’s largest ward by claimants and has its biggest over-50 group. Kew, Birkdale and Ainsdale all dipped slightly. Ward figures are rounded to the nearest five, so a change of five is close to noise.
In Formby, Ravenmeols was flat at 150 and Harington fell by five to 90.
The month’s real movement was at the other end of the borough. Derby rose by 30 to 615 and Linacre by 25 to 790. Both are in Bootle, about 14 miles south of Southport, and Linacre remains the highest ward in Sefton by some distance.
The twenty-two ward totals add to 6,425 against a borough figure of 6,430. The gap is rounding, not an error.
Over-50s and under-25s are behind the yearly rise
The age split shows who is driving the year-on-year increase.
| Age band | Sep 2025 | Aug 2026 | Sep 2026 | On the month | On the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 24 | 1,290 | 1,365 | 1,415 | +50 | +125 |
| 25 to 49 | 3,490 | 3,495 | 3,560 | +65 | +70 |
| 50 and over | 1,310 | 1,435 | 1,455 | +20 | +145 |
The 25 to 49 group is by far the largest, but it has grown by only 2 per cent in a year. The over-50s are up 145, or 11 per cent. The under-25s are up 125, almost 10 per cent. Between them, the two smaller groups account for 270 of the 340 extra claimants.
What it means for you
The claimant count covers people on Universal Credit who are required to look for work, as well as those on Jobseeker’s Allowance. It is a wider measure than the old dole queue and is not the same thing as the unemployment rate.
For Southport, this month’s figures are steady rather than alarming. The town’s wards moved by 20 between them, and three of the seven fell. The borough headline is being pushed up mainly by Bootle.
The longer pattern is the one to watch. For a year now, Sefton’s count has risen faster than the North West’s, and the growth is concentrated among people under 25 and over 50. If you are in either group and looking for work, you are in the part of the local jobs market where competition has grown most.
The next figures are due in November. We will report them, and any revision to September, when they land.
Our other local data pages cover house prices across the borough and Sefton’s planning decisions.
Sources
- nomis, ONS Claimant Count (dataset NM_162_1), September 2026 and revised August 2026, borough, North West, Great Britain, age bands and the 22 Sefton wards (as of May 2025), retrieved 23 October 2026
- Our earlier report: Sefton claimant count, August 2026
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