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The count stood at 210 in July 2026. That is 5.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why the caveats matter

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Claimant count — Orkney Islands

210, latest July 2026 (+5.0% year on year, from 200).

The count stood at 210 in July 2026. That is 5.0% higher than a year earlier. The series peaked at 950 in December 1986; the latest figure is 77.9% below that peak. Its low point was 60 in June 2015; the latest reading is 250% 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 — Orkney Islands, every published period
PeriodValue
July 2026210
June 2026205
May 2026210
April 2026215
March 2026235
February 2026245
January 2026230
December 2025225
November 2025210
October 2025200
September 2025190
August 2025200
July 2025200
June 2025200
May 2025220
April 2025215
March 2025230
February 2025230
January 2025215
December 2024210
November 2024205
October 2024215
September 2024255
August 2024240
July 2024235
June 2024245
May 2024220
April 2024195
March 2024215
February 2024195
January 2024190
December 2023215
November 2023200
October 2023195
September 2023205
August 2023210
July 2023195
June 2023220
May 2023220
April 2023230
March 2023245
February 2023240
January 2023210
December 2022215
November 2022210
October 2022205
September 2022185
August 2022200
July 2022200
June 2022200
May 2022205
April 2022225
March 2022245
February 2022260
January 2022250
December 2021250
November 2021240
October 2021240
September 2021245
August 2021265
July 2021285
June 2021290
May 2021340
April 2021370
March 2021385
February 2021375
January 2021360
December 2020365
November 2020370
October 2020370
September 2020405
August 2020420
July 2020400
June 2020380
May 2020415
April 2020380
March 2020200
February 2020195
January 2020190
December 2019175
November 2019180
October 2019180
September 2019170
August 2019165
July 2019170
June 2019185
May 2019170
April 2019190
March 2019195
February 2019185
January 2019155
December 2018135
November 2018110
October 201875
September 201865
August 201880
July 201885
June 2018100
May 2018100
April 2018110
March 2018125
February 2018130
January 2018120
December 2017115
November 2017115
October 2017105
September 2017100
August 2017110
July 2017110
June 2017125
May 2017130
April 2017145
March 2017145
February 2017140
January 2017130
December 2016130
November 2016120
October 2016115
September 2016105
August 2016105
July 2016110
June 2016105
May 2016100
April 2016115
March 2016115
February 2016105
January 2016105
December 201585
November 201580
October 201585
September 201580
August 201565
July 201570
June 201560
May 201570
April 201595
March 2015100
February 2015105
January 2015115
December 2014110
November 2014100
October 2014105
September 201490
August 201495
July 2014105
June 2014105
May 2014105
April 2014125
March 2014150
February 2014155
January 2014145
December 2013135
November 2013150
October 2013145
September 2013145
August 2013140
July 2013135
June 2013140
May 2013175
April 2013180
March 2013185
February 2013190
January 2013175
December 2012175
November 2012170
October 2012160
September 2012155
August 2012185
July 2012185
June 2012205
May 2012200
April 2012205
March 2012245
February 2012250
January 2012265
December 2011260
November 2011250
October 2011230
September 2011220
August 2011205
July 2011195
June 2011185
May 2011190
April 2011185
March 2011230
February 2011245
January 2011235
December 2010205
November 2010195
October 2010165
September 2010165
August 2010175
July 2010185
June 2010145
May 2010155
April 2010175
March 2010200
February 2010195
January 2010195
December 2009170
November 2009145
October 2009120
September 2009110
August 2009115
July 2009120
June 2009135
May 2009155
April 2009165
March 2009175
February 2009165
January 2009155
December 2008145
November 2008125
October 2008105
September 2008105
August 200895
July 200890
June 200890
May 200890
April 2008105
March 2008115
February 2008125
January 2008125
December 2007115
November 2007130
October 2007115
September 2007110
August 2007110
July 2007110
June 2007105
May 2007120
April 2007145
March 2007170
February 2007180
January 2007195
December 2006185
November 2006165
October 2006150
September 2006140
August 2006160
July 2006180
June 2006165
May 2006190
April 2006200
March 2006195
February 2006175
January 2006170
December 2005165
November 2005150
October 2005140
September 2005130
August 2005140
July 2005150
June 2005155
May 2005165
April 2005180
March 2005195
February 2005205
January 2005200
December 2004175
November 2004180
October 2004180
September 2004165
August 2004175
July 2004190
June 2004205
May 2004230
April 2004235
March 2004265
February 2004255
January 2004260
December 2003230
November 2003215
October 2003190
September 2003180
August 2003170
July 2003165
June 2003175
May 2003205
April 2003220
March 2003250
February 2003275
January 2003280
December 2002240
November 2002210
October 2002210
September 2002190
August 2002195
July 2002195
June 2002205
May 2002225
April 2002240
March 2002265
February 2002275
January 2002275
December 2001270
November 2001265
October 2001235
September 2001210
August 2001240
July 2001260
June 2001235
May 2001255
April 2001280
March 2001320
February 2001335
January 2001340
December 2000310
November 2000300
October 2000275
September 2000250
August 2000255
July 2000260
June 2000235
May 2000250
April 2000300
March 2000325
February 2000330
January 2000345
December 1999325
November 1999310
October 1999295
September 1999280
August 1999290
July 1999280
June 1999270
May 1999285
April 1999310
March 1999340
February 1999350
January 1999355
December 1998340
November 1998315
October 1998280
September 1998280
August 1998300
July 1998305
June 1998285
May 1998305
April 1998310
March 1998335
February 1998370
January 1998365
December 1997335
November 1997335
October 1997320
September 1997335
August 1997325
July 1997350
June 1997325
May 1997345
April 1997405
March 1997420
February 1997440
January 1997440
December 1996410
November 1996405
October 1996380
September 1996385
August 1996390
July 1996385
June 1996390
May 1996395
April 1996435
March 1996465
February 1996510
January 1996510
December 1995500
November 1995490
October 1995460
September 1995460
August 1995490
July 1995490
June 1995465
May 1995475
April 1995490
March 1995540
February 1995560
January 1995545
December 1994500
November 1994505
October 1994475
September 1994450
August 1994465
July 1994450
June 1994455
May 1994470
April 1994495
March 1994485
February 1994510
January 1994510
December 1993500
November 1993470
October 1993470
September 1993465
August 1993450
July 1993455
June 1993410
May 1993440
April 1993495
March 1993515
February 1993515
January 1993510
December 1992480
November 1992475
October 1992450
September 1992400
August 1992400
July 1992410
June 1992390
May 1992420
April 1992475
March 1992470
February 1992490
January 1992520
December 1991490
November 1991475
October 1991420
September 1991420
August 1991425
July 1991420
June 1991405
May 1991410
April 1991440
March 1991470
February 1991480
January 1991480
December 1990460
November 1990435
October 1990425
September 1990390
August 1990395
July 1990405
June 1990385
May 1990445
April 1990460
March 1990500
February 1990530
January 1990520
December 1989500
November 1989515
October 1989495
September 1989520
August 1989545
July 1989535
June 1989535
May 1989595
April 1989645
March 1989685
February 1989705
January 1989720
December 1988725
November 1988720
October 1988700
September 1988730
August 1988735
July 1988730
June 1988755
May 1988785
April 1988805
March 1988850
February 1988860
January 1988905
December 1987870
November 1987840
October 1987820
September 1987775
August 1987760
July 1987800
June 1987790
May 1987810
April 1987870
March 1987895
February 1987915
January 1987935
December 1986950
November 1986925
October 1986860
September 1986850
August 1986810
July 1986805
June 1986795
May 1986790
April 1986810
March 1986845
February 1986860
January 1986855

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 — Orkney Islands
210 for Orkney Islands, 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/orkney-islands/claimant-count

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