Employment
Employment status
About this topic
Employment status shows whether people aged 15 years and over are employed full-time or part-time, unemployed, or not in the labour force. It is one of the main Census indicators of labour market participation and economic engagement.
This topic is useful for understanding workforce participation, unemployment, and the broader socio-economic profile of an area. Results from 2021 should be read carefully because COVID-19 restrictions increased the number of people who were employed but away from work around Census time.
Interpretation notes
- Labour force status is based on the week before Census night for people aged 15 years and over.
- In 2021, lockdown instructions could shift more people into 'employed, away from work', so over-time comparisons need care.
- The 'away from work' group also includes people who reported having a job but did not state hours worked.
Key insight
In 2021, Employed was the most common category among residents aged 15 and over in Old Beach, accounting for 96.5% (2,350 people). This share was higher than Brighton (M) (93.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in Employed, which increased by 325 people, while its share fell by 0.1 percentage points.
Section overview
Labour force status
Old Beach - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises employment status for Old Beach in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Brighton (M) and change since 2016.
Labour force status snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Old Beach, with comparison markers for Brighton (M).
Employed
2021 count
2,350
% of total
96.5%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
2,350
96.5%
-0.1pp
Employed full-time
2021 count
1,459
% of total
59.9%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
1,459
59.9%
-0.6pp
Employed part-time
2021 count
750
% of total
30.8%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
750
30.8%
-0.4pp
Employed, away from work
2021 count
139
% of total
5.7%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
139
5.7%
+0.5pp
Unemployed (Unemployment rate)
2021 count
84
% of total
3.4%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
84
3.4%
-0.3pp
Looking for full-time work
2021 count
45
% of total
1.8%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
45
1.8%
+0.2pp
Looking for part-time work
2021 count
40
% of total
1.6%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
40
1.6%
-0.3pp
Chart view
Labour force status change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Employed
+325
-0.1pp
Employed full-time
+190
-0.6pp
Employed part-time
+96
-0.4pp
Employed, away from work
+31
+0.5pp
Unemployed (Unemployment rate)
+6
-0.3pp
Looking for full-time work
+12
+0.2pp
Looking for part-time work
0
-0.3pp
Data table
Employment status for Old Beach. Labour force status. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Brighton (M).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Brighton (M)% | Count | % | Brighton (M)% | Count | pp | |
| Employed | 2,350 | 96.5% | 93.4% | 2,025 | 96.6% | 92.1% | +325 | -0.1pp |
| Employed full-time | 1,459 | 59.9% | 54.3% | 1,269 | 60.5% | 54.5% | +190 | -0.6pp |
| Employed part-time | 750 | 30.8% | 32.9% | 654 | 31.2% | 32.0% | +96 | -0.4pp |
| Employed, away from work | 139 | 5.7% | 6.2% | 108 | 5.2% | 5.6% | +31 | +0.5pp |
| Unemployed (Unemployment rate) | 84 | 3.4% | 6.6% | 78 | 3.7% | 8.0% | +6 | -0.3pp |
| Looking for full-time work | 45 | 1.8% | 3.9% | 33 | 1.6% | 5.2% | +12 | +0.2pp |
| Looking for part-time work | 40 | 1.6% | 2.8% | 40 | 1.9% | 2.7% | 0 | -0.3pp |
| Total labour force | 2,435 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2,096 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +339 | 0.0pp |