JOB AVAILABILITY During November 2024 in Carlisle there were 2,467 postings. The most advertised jobs across Cumbria were for care workers, cleaners and domestics, sales related, and kitchen and catering assistants. In our recent survey, 16% of responses selected work opportunities when asked “Which three things would you like to see improve in Carlisle district?” EMPLOYMENT RATE (AGE 16-64) In Cumberland in the year ending Dec 2024, 76.9% of the working age population (aged 16- 64) was in employment, slightly lower than Cumbria (77.3%) and higher than the national average of 75.5%. MEDIAN MONTHLY PAY Median monthly pay (seasonally adjusted) for employees in Cumbria was £2,373 in March 2025 which is 96% of the UK average. In East Cumbria (which includes Carlisle, Eden and South Lakeland) earnings represented 91% of the UK average, potentially reflecting the lower skilled local job market. PAYROLLED EMPLOYMENT In March 2025, there were an estimated 225,766 payrolled employees across Cumbria, representing an increase of 1,446 on the previous year, with East Cumbria having 120,824 payrolled employees. Carlisle people are the hardest working people that you will ever come across. I would suggest if you were developing a business in Carlisle what you have is a workforce that is extremely hard working but as a result you have to work hard to develop and train and invest in them. If you do that the results are fantastic. Business Representative The majority of people we employ are from the local area. If I were to bring people in, I’ll be paying a lot more money to attract, or there are reasons why they would go somewhere else. I have some cracking young people, and it is about trying to find the opportunities for these good people to stay. Member of Business Community ECONOMIC INACTIVITY For the year ending Dec 2024, 21.1% of people in Cumbria were classified as economically inactive, meaning they were neither working nor available for work. It is positive that the unemployment claimant rate in Carlisle (2.76%) in March 2025, is lower than the national average of 4.2%. The rate of people claiming Universal Credit (including both in work and out of work)8 is also lower at 16.7% versus the national average of 18.3%. However, this still means that 10,9216 people were claiming Universal Credit in Carlisle in March 2025. Included in this number are significant numbers of people living on low incomes whose wages are being supplemented with Universal Credit. There are also identifiable pockets of higher unemployment including in Castle ward which has a rate of 5% compared to 0.9% in Corby and Hayton which has the lowest. The number of people claiming Universal Credit in Carlisle has increased by 8.9% (or 895 people) in a year. Also, three-quarters of Universal Credit claimants in Cumbria (32,825) have been claiming the benefit for over 12 months, an annual increase of 3,716 (12.8%). In November 2024, there were 35,990 households on Universal Credit in Cumbria, a rise of 3,828 from the same month last year (11.9%). The number of households on Universal Credit rose year on year in all six districts in Cumbria including in Carlisle which rose by 12.8% to 8,976 households. Carlisle also had the most households in Cumbria on Universal Credit. CHILDCARE PROVISION Prices for 25 hours of childcare in a UK nursery for children under the age of two increased by 7.4% in 2023 and by 6.2% in 20249 for children aged two years old. In order to address these disparities, Cumberland Council’s Early Years Strategy (2023–2025) focuses on increasing funding for Free Entitlement, investigating potential solutions for the sector’s problems with recruitment and retention, and guaranteeing that families with children with Special Educational Needs (SEND) have access to enough childcare.10 PARTICIPATION OF 16/17 YEAR OLDS IN EDUCATION & TRAINING EDUCATIONAL PARTICIPATION February 2025, 90.5% of young people across Cumbria were either in education or training until their 18th birthday. However, as the table above shows, Carlisle has one of the lowest rates of education participation, second only to Copeland. In addition, 67 young people are classified as NEET and 25 young people are classified as not known. The proportion of 18-year-olds who were accepted into higher education (through UCAS) was 37.2% in England in 2024, with figures for the Northwest standing at 34.6%.11 In 2023, the higher education participation rate12 by parliamentary constituency ranged from under 30% to 53% and over. In the parliamentary constituency of Carlisle the rate was under 30%.13 QUALIFICATIONS (IN THE 16-64 POPULATION) In comparison to the national rate (47.4%), Cumberland was estimated to have a lower proportion of working-age residents (36.2%) qualified to Level 414 or above. Cumberland has a higher percentage of qualified individuals up to Level 315 (29.8%) than the national average (20.4%), reflecting a higher-than-average progression into apprenticeships.16 With an ageing population and a declining youth population, quality apprenticeships are viewed as a key way to retain talented young people. I see all these bright kids leaving the area to go to Manchester and Liverpool and they never come back. So, our company has started targeting the schools. We do presentations with the pupils, and we have a stand at the school fair. We have an open day, and the pupils come with their mams and dads. I offer the apprentices six months ‘time out’, so they don’t miss out on that six-month travelling experience. Business Representative 100.0% 98.0% 96.0% 94.0% 92.0% 90.0% 88.0% 86.0% 84.0% 82.0% 80.0% Feb 24 Mar 24 Apr 24 May 24 Jun 24 Jul 24 Aug 24 Sep 24 Oct 24 Nov 24 Dec 24 Jan 25 Feb 25 % of cohort Cumberland Allerdale Carlisle Copeland W&F Barrow Eden South Lakeland Cumbria Carlisle: Opportunities & Challenges 2025 24 25
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