Employment rate: highest and lowest councils in North West (March 2026)
Cheshire West and Chester and West Lancashire had the joint highest employment rate of North West’s 35 councils in March 2026, at 81.0%.
Hyndburn had the lowest, at 63.6%. The middle council, Sefton, had 74.3%.
See it on the map| Rank | Council | Value |
|---|---|---|
| =1 | Cheshire West and Chester | 81.0% |
| =1 | West Lancashire | 81.0% |
| =3 | Chorley | 80.4% |
| =3 | Westmorland and Furness | 80.4% |
| 5 | Pendle ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 79.6% |
| 6 | Trafford | 79.1% |
| =7 | Cheshire East | 78.3% |
| =7 | Ribble Valley ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 78.3% |
| 9 | South Ribble | 78.1% |
| 10 | Lancaster | 77.7% |
| 11 | Warrington | 77.3% |
| 12 | St. Helens | 75.7% |
| 13 | Preston | 75.4% |
| 14 | Cumberland | 75.3% |
| =15 | Halton | 74.9% |
| =15 | Manchester | 74.9% |
| =15 | Rossendale ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 74.9% |
| 18 | Sefton | 74.3% |
| 19 | Wirral | 73.9% |
| 20 | Stockport | 73.8% |
| 21 | Tameside | 73.6% |
| 22 | Wyre ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 72.7% |
| 23 | Wigan | 72.1% |
| 24 | Knowsley | 71.8% |
| 25 | Liverpool | 71.2% |
| 26 | Salford | 70.8% |
| 27 | Burnley ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 70.0% |
| 28 | Bury | 69.6% |
| 29 | Bolton | 69.5% |
| 30 | Fylde ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 68.7% |
| 31 | Blackpool | 67.8% |
| 32 | Rochdale | 67.1% |
| 33 | Blackburn with Darwen | 65.4% |
| 34 | Oldham | 64.3% |
| 35 | Hyndburn ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 63.6% |