Stockport's claimant count hit 5,550 in August and under-25s are 85 of the 100 annual rise. At 3.0%, the rate is still the lowest in Greater Manchester.
There were 5,550 people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Stockport in August 2026, the Office for National Statistics reported on 15 September. That is 3.0% of residents aged 16 to 64, and it is still the lowest rate of any borough in Greater Manchester.
It is also 100 more people than in August last year. Almost all of that increase is young.
- 16 to 24: 1,235, up 85 on August 2025
- 25 to 49: 3,230, down 5
- 50 and over: 1,080, up 15
The figures come from the ONS claimant count series on nomis, dataset NM_162_1, which records Stockport as local authority E08000007. Nomis rounds every figure to the nearest five, which is why the three age bands add up to 5,545 rather than 5,550.
The under-25 number is the story
Stockport’s total claimant count has been falling since the pandemic. The under-25 count has not. Every August since 2019:
| August | All claimants | Aged 16 to 24 | Under-25 share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4,460 | 800 | 17.9% |
| 2020 | 10,730 | 2,030 | 18.9% |
| 2021 | 8,445 | 1,585 | 18.8% |
| 2022 | 6,155 | 1,015 | 16.5% |
| 2023 | 5,660 | 1,060 | 18.7% |
| 2024 | 6,380 | 1,120 | 17.6% |
| 2025 | 5,450 | 1,150 | 21.1% |
| 2026 | 5,550 | 1,235 | 22.3% |
August 2026 is the highest August figure for under-25s since 2021, when the borough was still coming down off the furlough-era peak. It is 54% above August 2019. The total count over the same seven years is up 24%.
More than one in five Stockport claimants is now under 25.
How Stockport compares in Greater Manchester
Stockport has the joint lowest claimant rate of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs, level with Trafford. Rates for August 2026, as a share of residents aged 16 to 64:
| Borough | Rate | Claimants |
|---|---|---|
| Stockport | 3.0% | 5,550 |
| Trafford | 3.0% | 4,495 |
| Wigan | 3.6% | 7,795 |
| Bury | 4.4% | 5,345 |
| Tameside | 4.9% | 7,385 |
| Salford | 5.1% | 10,185 |
| Bolton | 5.3% | 10,025 |
| Manchester | 6.0% | 25,185 |
| Rochdale | 6.0% | 8,675 |
| Oldham | 6.5% | 10,170 |
Oldham’s rate is more than double Stockport’s. The youth picture is less flattering than the headline rate: of the ten boroughs, only Trafford (885 under-25 claimants) and Bury (1,150) count fewer than Stockport’s 1,235. Tameside, a borough with a claimant rate well above ours, has 1,690.
What the claimant count is, and is not
This is not the unemployment rate, and the ONS is explicit about it. Its quality and methodology report says the claimant count “does not attempt to measure unemployment, which is a concept defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)”. It counts people claiming benefits principally for the reason of being unemployed, plus those on Universal Credit “who are required to seek work to qualify for their benefits”.
Two further cautions on the numbers above:
- The newest month moves. The same ONS report says the Universal Credit part of the count “allows for revisions to the data for one previous month”. When we pulled this series in August, June 2026 stood at 5,520; it is now recorded as 5,460.
- Rounding. Every figure is to the nearest five, so small month-to-month changes should be read loosely.
The split by sex in August was 3,245 men and 2,310 women.
What it means for you
- If you are under 25 and out of work in Stockport, you are part of a group that has grown while every other age group here has been flat. That is a labour market issue, not a personal one, and it is worth saying to anyone advising you.
- Jobcentre Plus is the route to the claim itself. Contact details and the office finder are on gov.uk.
- If you are an employer, there are more under-25 claimants in the borough than in any August since 2021.
- The next release is 20 October 2026, covering September. We will update this series then.
Our other data pages for the borough cover house prices and council tax bands.
Sources: ONS claimant count via nomis, dataset NM_162_1, geography E08000007 and Greater Manchester (E11000001), counts and proportions for August 2026, released 15 September 2026 and read on 21 September 2026; ONS, Claimant Count QMI.
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