Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon’s 6.6% unemployment rate ranks among the highest in London, sparking concern over local job creation and post-pandemic economic recovery.
There are 1.8million unemployed across the country, which the Office for National Statistics said, outside the covid pandemic, is the highest level nationally since August 2016.
The data comes just a fortnight before Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to make her second Budget statement. Twelve months ago, when she delivered the first Labour administration Budget for 14 years, Reeves boosted levels of employer National Insurance contributions, characterized at the time as a “tax on jobs”, and which was projected to be drag on growth and a discouragement to firms employing people.
Figures for October 2025, based on the number of persons signing on for Jobseekers Allowance, or for Universal Credit while also seeking work, revealed that 17,365 in Croydon were out of work – 6.6% of adults.
The headline unemployment rate nationwide increased from 4.8% in the preceding quarter to 5.0% in the three months leading up to the end of September.
Additionally, according to Inside Croydon contributor Andrew Fisher, there are currently 5.15 million underemployed persons, or those looking for more or additional hours of paid work, which is an increase of almost 500,000 from a year earlier.
For every job opening, there are now 7.1 applicants.
Due to the huge number of relatively low-paid workers in the retail and hospitality industries, London has been particularly heavily hit.
Due to a decline in employment around the capital and businesses’ ongoing struggles with growing expenses, the number of unemployed Londoners has surged to its highest level in 11 years.
The Standard reports that the capital’s jobless statistics “highlight the growing pressure on Londoners, with redundancies rising and younger workers particularly affected, as businesses potentially look to scale back recruitment further ahead of another difficult Budget.”
- According to data from The Standard, the unemployment rate in nearby Bromley is 3.6%.
- The unemployment rate in Sutton is 3.5%.
- The unemployment rate in Merton is 4.8%.
- Lambeth (6.3%) and Southwark (5.7%), Croydon’s two inner-city neighbors, have lower unemployment rates than Croydon in outer London.
At the local authority level, the Standard’s statistics show how many people are applying for unemployment-related benefits. The official headline unemployment rate is not the same as this.
According to data from The Standard, Newham had the largest number of jobseeker benefit heirs last month (21,385 individualities, 8.2 of grown-ups), followed by Brent( 18,335 people, 7.7 of grown-ups), Ealing (17,450 people, 6.8 of grown-ups), Croydon, and Tower townlets (17,260 people, 6.8 of grown-ups).
How will Gatwick expansion affect Croydon employment opportunities?
The project will produce thousands of new jobs, both directly at the field and laterally through associated force chains. Around 3,680 Croydon residents are formerly employed by Gatwick, with plans to increase this through hiring and internships.
Croydon Council has a strong cooperation with Gatwick, homogenized by an profitable Growth Duty aimed at connecting residents with jobs, internships, and graduate programs offered by the field. The field expansion is anticipated to attract new investment and boost Croydon’s frugality through retail force chain openings, jobs in logistics, transport, and field services.
The action aligns with Croydon’s Growth Plan to regenerate the original frugality and reduce severance by staking on sectors linked to the field. Challenges remain around casing and transport structure to support the increased pool, but the expansion promises significant profitable and employment benefits for Croydon and the girding region.