UK public data, by local authority district
StatsMapped

The count stood at 3,860 in July 2026. That is 1.6% higher than a year earlier.

Why the caveats matter

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.

The UK's four nations publish separately, so some figures stop at a border: house sale prices cover England and Wales, road collisions Great Britain. Pupil absence is published for England, but not every English district individually — some are reported only as part of their wider county. An area with fewer datasets isn't missing data — either its nation publishes that statistic through a different body, or (pupil absence only) its own district isn't reported separately.

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Claimant count — Colchester

3,860, latest July 2026 (+1.6% year on year, from 3,800).

The count stood at 3,860 in July 2026. That is 1.6% higher than a year earlier. The series peaked at 7,140 in January 1993; the latest figure is 45.9% below that peak. Its low point was 1,135 in October 2001; the latest reading is 240% 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 (487 periods)
Claimant count — Colchester, every published period
PeriodValue
July 20263,860
June 20263,830
May 20263,825
April 20263,870
March 20263,915
February 20263,930
January 20263,895
December 20253,835
November 20253,785
October 20253,745
September 20253,745
August 20253,775
July 20253,800
June 20253,845
May 20253,875
April 20253,920
March 20254,040
February 20254,080
January 20253,905
December 20243,925
November 20243,965
October 20244,005
September 20244,115
August 20244,070
July 20244,040
June 20243,730
May 20243,650
April 20243,570
March 20243,690
February 20243,600
January 20243,570
December 20233,475
November 20233,500
October 20233,435
September 20233,400
August 20233,405
July 20233,425
June 20233,450
May 20233,355
April 20233,490
March 20233,455
February 20233,450
January 20233,330
December 20223,335
November 20223,285
October 20223,225
September 20223,265
August 20223,235
July 20223,170
June 20223,235
May 20223,330
April 20223,450
March 20223,725
February 20223,945
January 20223,980
December 20214,160
November 20214,275
October 20214,450
September 20214,655
August 20214,970
July 20215,160
June 20215,260
May 20215,690
April 20216,165
March 20216,240
February 20216,285
January 20216,000
December 20206,090
November 20206,095
October 20206,035
September 20206,430
August 20206,405
July 20206,260
June 20206,110
May 20206,500
April 20204,985
March 20202,720
February 20202,650
January 20202,510
December 20192,480
November 20192,420
October 20192,400
September 20192,320
August 20192,305
July 20192,240
June 20192,300
May 20192,240
April 20192,220
March 20192,185
February 20192,110
January 20192,015
December 20181,890
November 20181,810
October 20181,660
September 20181,465
August 20181,370
July 20181,360
June 20181,390
May 20181,395
April 20181,435
March 20181,435
February 20181,405
January 20181,380
December 20171,325
November 20171,360
October 20171,360
September 20171,300
August 20171,345
July 20171,380
June 20171,370
May 20171,400
April 20171,425
March 20171,395
February 20171,380
January 20171,355
December 20161,355
November 20161,345
October 20161,390
September 20161,375
August 20161,425
July 20161,425
June 20161,445
May 20161,505
April 20161,540
March 20161,560
February 20161,555
January 20161,475
December 20151,420
November 20151,365
October 20151,385
September 20151,385
August 20151,365
July 20151,300
June 20151,290
May 20151,340
April 20151,395
March 20151,425
February 20151,440
January 20151,485
December 20141,410
November 20141,460
October 20141,535
September 20141,650
August 20141,710
July 20141,750
June 20141,830
May 20141,980
April 20142,170
March 20142,285
February 20142,325
January 20142,410
December 20132,365
November 20132,395
October 20132,485
September 20132,660
August 20132,785
July 20132,770
June 20132,815
May 20132,980
April 20133,110
March 20133,240
February 20133,285
January 20133,175
December 20123,085
November 20123,100
October 20123,120
September 20123,205
August 20123,300
July 20123,315
June 20123,235
May 20123,290
April 20123,435
March 20123,590
February 20123,645
January 20123,480
December 20113,325
November 20113,340
October 20113,390
September 20113,370
August 20113,360
July 20113,265
June 20113,115
May 20113,125
April 20113,175
March 20113,190
February 20113,200
January 20113,245
December 20103,110
November 20103,035
October 20103,025
September 20103,105
August 20103,150
July 20103,010
June 20103,015
May 20103,105
April 20103,230
March 20103,325
February 20103,410
January 20103,550
December 20093,330
November 20093,335
October 20093,420
September 20093,515
August 20093,645
July 20093,530
June 20093,565
May 20093,610
April 20093,700
March 20093,645
February 20093,480
January 20092,940
December 20082,590
November 20082,385
October 20082,120
September 20082,005
August 20081,960
July 20081,785
June 20081,745
May 20081,785
April 20081,800
March 20081,775
February 20081,740
January 20081,715
December 20071,640
November 20071,585
October 20071,630
September 20071,725
August 20071,710
July 20071,700
June 20071,750
May 20071,790
April 20071,865
March 20071,890
February 20071,905
January 20071,775
December 20061,690
November 20061,680
October 20061,695
September 20061,765
August 20061,740
July 20061,715
June 20061,715
May 20061,775
April 20061,765
March 20061,815
February 20061,855
January 20061,700
December 20051,540
November 20051,510
October 20051,480
September 20051,515
August 20051,505
July 20051,510
June 20051,445
May 20051,465
April 20051,455
March 20051,460
February 20051,425
January 20051,310
December 20041,250
November 20041,240
October 20041,240
September 20041,295
August 20041,315
July 20041,255
June 20041,260
May 20041,315
April 20041,425
March 20041,430
February 20041,470
January 20041,420
December 20031,290
November 20031,270
October 20031,270
September 20031,300
August 20031,375
July 20031,300
June 20031,250
May 20031,300
April 20031,325
March 20031,355
February 20031,415
January 20031,460
December 20021,285
November 20021,195
October 20021,205
September 20021,245
August 20021,335
July 20021,315
June 20021,275
May 20021,310
April 20021,330
March 20021,360
February 20021,420
January 20021,330
December 20011,210
November 20011,145
October 20011,135
September 20011,175
August 20011,225
July 20011,230
June 20011,200
May 20011,310
April 20011,315
March 20011,375
February 20011,455
January 20011,470
December 20001,300
November 20001,350
October 20001,330
September 20001,400
August 20001,540
July 20001,535
June 20001,555
May 20001,615
April 20001,735
March 20001,785
February 20001,790
January 20001,845
December 19991,670
November 19991,720
October 19991,750
September 19991,845
August 19991,910
July 19991,920
June 19991,960
May 19992,105
April 19992,170
March 19992,215
February 19992,215
January 19992,210
December 19982,070
November 19982,045
October 19982,000
September 19982,105
August 19982,175
July 19982,160
June 19982,055
May 19982,125
April 19982,220
March 19982,195
February 19982,260
January 19982,270
December 19972,090
November 19972,135
October 19972,245
September 19972,380
August 19972,580
July 19972,585
June 19972,540
May 19972,700
April 19972,845
March 19972,925
February 19973,170
January 19973,470
December 19963,325
November 19963,420
October 19963,680
September 19963,875
August 19964,090
July 19964,110
June 19964,015
May 19964,180
April 19964,420
March 19964,510
February 19964,675
January 19964,685
December 19954,460
November 19954,365
October 19954,455
September 19954,695
August 19954,865
July 19954,875
June 19954,765
May 19954,910
April 19955,075
March 19955,190
February 19955,360
January 19955,465
December 19945,245
November 19945,320
October 19945,490
September 19945,865
August 19945,930
July 19945,930
June 19945,825
May 19946,075
April 19946,165
March 19946,235
February 19946,385
January 19946,415
December 19936,085
November 19936,080
October 19936,165
September 19936,375
August 19936,575
July 19936,605
June 19936,500
May 19936,730
April 19937,035
March 19936,960
February 19937,095
January 19937,140
December 19926,835
November 19926,490
October 19926,315
September 19926,355
August 19926,245
July 19925,980
June 19925,775
May 19925,805
April 19925,905
March 19925,720
February 19925,645
January 19925,535
December 19915,125
November 19914,880
October 19914,710
September 19914,770
August 19914,740
July 19914,720
June 19914,475
May 19914,350
April 19914,345
March 19914,265
February 19913,995
January 19913,685
December 19903,250
November 19902,965
October 19902,755
September 19902,680
August 19902,700
July 19902,615
June 19902,430
May 19902,370
April 19902,405
March 19902,430
February 19902,410
January 19902,320
December 19892,230
November 19892,145
October 19892,080
September 19892,205
August 19892,255
July 19892,285
June 19892,180
May 19892,260
April 19892,415
March 19892,480
February 19892,630
January 19892,770
December 19882,775
November 19882,840
October 19882,930
September 19883,355
August 19883,340
July 19883,370
June 19883,445
May 19883,595
April 19883,830
March 19884,015
February 19884,190
January 19884,300
December 19874,305
November 19874,315
October 19874,550
September 19874,770
August 19874,840
July 19874,920
June 19874,930
May 19875,115
April 19875,300
March 19875,410
February 19875,685
January 19875,865
December 19865,715
November 19865,780
October 19865,885
September 19866,180
August 19866,075
July 19866,090
June 19865,975
May 19866,135
April 19866,255
March 19866,285
February 19866,270
January 19866,330

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.

Cite this figure:

Claimant count — Colchester
3,860 for Colchester, July 2026
Caveats: Not a measure of unemployment; Four nations, one series; Latest figure: July 2026 — 3 months old
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/colchester/claimant-count

See every dataset published for Colchester

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