Economy and work in Isle of Wight
Unitary authorityThe south west of the South East. 140,777 people (mid-2025 estimate) in 380 square kilometres.
4 layers about economy and work for Isle of Wight, each at the level its publisher released it, with its own date and source.
Claimants by neighbourhood
Claimant count (Nomis) · August 2026
Isle of Wight’s 89 neighbourhoods range from 5 to 110.
Median full-time pay
CouncilGreat Britain onlyFull-time workers living in Isle of Wight earned a median of £31,184 in 2025.
People claiming out-of-work benefits
CouncilIn Isle of Wight, 2,850 people were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.
Claimant rate
CouncilIn Isle of Wight, 3.6% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.
For the UK as a whole, the figure was 3.9%.
- Against South East
- 16% higher3.1%
- Against the UK
- 8% lower3.9%
Employment rate
CouncilGreat Britain only73.6% of people aged 16 to 64 in Isle of Wight were in work in the year to March 2026.
Isle of Wight is joint 107th lowest of 348 for employment rate.