Economy and work in Middlesbrough
Unitary authorityThe south east of the North East. 152,795 people (mid-2025 estimate) in 54 square kilometres.
4 layers about economy and work for Middlesbrough, each at the level its publisher released it, with its own date and source.
Claimants by neighbourhood
Claimant count (Nomis) · August 2026
Middlesbrough’s 90 neighbourhoods range from 5 to 220.
Median full-time pay
CouncilGreat Britain onlyFull-time workers living in Middlesbrough earned a median of £35,177 in 2025.
People claiming out-of-work benefits
CouncilIn Middlesbrough, 5,150 people were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.
Claimant rate
CouncilIn Middlesbrough, 5.2% 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 North East
- 41% higher3.7%
- Against the UK
- 33% higher3.9%
Employment rate
CouncilGreat Britain only66.0% of people aged 16 to 64 in Middlesbrough were in work in the year to March 2026.
Middlesbrough is 15th lowest of 348 for employment rate.