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The count stood at 8,800 in July 2026. That is 6.6% lower than a year earlier.

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Every figure carries the publisher's own caveats. Where a statistic is published for a wider area than the one you clicked, or where the publisher itself flags it as unreliable, the page says so rather than quietly rounding it off.

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Claimant count — Belfast

8,800, latest July 2026 (-6.6% year on year, from 9,420).

The count stood at 8,800 in July 2026. That is 6.6% lower than a year earlier. The series peaked at 16,335 in February 2013; the latest figure is 46.1% below that peak. Its low point was 6,230 in November 2019; the latest reading is 41% above that.

This is the claimant count: people claiming Universal Credit while required to look for work, or Jobseeker's Allowance. It is not the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate comes from the ONS Labour Force Survey and counts everyone without a job who is looking for one, whether or not they claim a benefit.

Show the numbers (163 periods)
Claimant count — Belfast, every published period
PeriodValue
July 20268,800
June 20268,700
May 20268,710
April 20269,065
March 20268,975
February 20268,975
January 20268,830
December 20258,855
November 20259,245
October 20259,675
September 20259,725
August 20259,380
July 20259,420
June 20259,490
May 20259,260
April 20259,615
March 20259,590
February 20259,600
January 20259,185
December 20249,480
November 20249,875
October 202410,315
September 202410,385
August 202410,120
July 202410,105
June 20249,260
May 20249,025
April 20249,220
March 20249,255
February 20249,155
January 20248,865
December 20239,120
November 20239,030
October 20239,335
September 20239,525
August 20239,285
July 20239,315
June 20239,070
May 20238,940
April 20239,575
March 20239,275
February 20238,955
January 20238,850
December 20229,035
November 20229,000
October 20229,085
September 20229,155
August 20229,060
July 20229,020
June 20229,080
May 20229,270
April 20229,650
March 20229,820
February 202210,090
January 202210,085
December 202110,505
November 202111,030
October 202111,645
September 202112,020
August 202112,325
July 202112,605
June 202112,790
May 202113,385
April 202113,950
March 202114,050
February 202113,950
January 202113,530
December 202013,845
November 202014,215
October 202014,195
September 202014,405
August 202014,605
July 202014,565
June 202014,555
May 202014,795
April 202014,140
March 20207,435
February 20207,175
January 20206,990
December 20197,085
November 20196,230
October 20196,245
September 20196,270
August 20196,320
July 20196,385
June 20196,395
May 20196,440
April 20196,500
March 20196,510
February 20196,535
January 20196,705
December 20186,540
November 20186,665
October 20186,695
September 20186,860
August 20186,765
July 20186,660
June 20186,840
May 20186,980
April 20187,105
March 20187,135
February 20187,075
January 20186,955
December 20177,010
November 20176,940
October 20177,135
September 20177,390
August 20177,645
July 20177,565
June 20177,655
May 20177,880
April 20178,090
March 20178,260
February 20178,285
January 20178,255
December 20168,105
November 20168,300
October 20168,490
September 20168,760
August 20168,920
July 20168,920
June 20168,985
May 20169,230
April 20169,520
March 20169,725
February 20169,790
January 20169,670
December 20159,420
November 20159,640
October 20159,950
September 201510,265
August 201510,670
July 201510,815
June 201510,825
May 201510,845
April 201511,245
March 201511,690
February 201512,220
January 201512,645
December 201412,580
November 201412,775
October 201413,255
September 201413,420
August 201413,690
July 201413,720
June 201413,790
May 201414,210
April 201414,370
March 201414,645
February 201414,970
January 201414,910
December 201314,500
November 201314,710
October 201315,060
September 201315,535
August 201315,895
July 201315,805
June 201315,730
May 201315,990
April 201316,115
March 201316,195
February 201316,335
January 201316,230

What these terms mean

Claimant count
The number of people claiming Universal Credit while required to look for work, or claiming Jobseeker's Allowance. It is not the unemployment rate: it includes some people working part-time and excludes unemployed people who don't claim. Source
Local authority district
The council area a statistic is published for -- 361 across the UK. In England these are boroughs, districts and unitary authorities; in Scotland, council areas; in Wales, principal areas; in Northern Ireland, districts.

Before you use these figures

  • Not a measure of unemployment: The claimant count is a count of people claiming Universal Credit (who are required to seek work) or Jobseeker's Allowance, not a count of unemployed people. It includes some people in part-time work and excludes people who are unemployed but not claiming. ONS's Labour Force Survey is the measure of unemployment, and is a different figure.
  • Four nations, one series: Universal Credit and Jobseeker's Allowance operate UK-wide, so this series is directly comparable across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- unlike some UK statistics that are only published for some nations.
  • Latest figure: July 2026 — 3 months old: This dataset is published monthly and the publisher hasn't released anything newer. Nothing is missing from this page.
  • Not adjusted for population, October 2014: This area's October 2014 figure was 13,255, well outside the typical range for other areas that reported for October 2014 (median about 1,508 across 360 other areas). This figure is a raw count, not adjusted for population — a larger area is expected to report a larger number regardless of anything unusual happening there. Not itself a sign of a data problem.

Cite this figure:

Claimant count — Belfast
8,800 for Belfast, July 2026
Caveats: Not a measure of unemployment; Four nations, one series; Latest figure: July 2026 — 3 months old; Not adjusted for population, October 2014
StatsMapped last confirmed this figure unchanged on 4 Sep 2026.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Claimant Count (via Nomis)
https://statsmapped.com/united-kingdom/local-authority/belfast/claimant-count

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