Cumbria Community Foundation - Furness: Opportunities and Challenges 2021

F U R N E S S – O P P O R T U N I T I E S & C H A L L E N G E S 13 In Furness, the dominant sub-group is the ‘hard- pressed living’ making up 43.1% of the population in Low Furness and 16.6% in High Furness. 2 This group has less non-white ethnic representation than elsewhere in the UK, a higher-than-average proportion of residents born in the UK and Ireland, and rates of divorce and separation above the national average. Households are more likely to have non-dependent children and are more likely to live in semi- detached or terraced properties, and to rent. There is a smaller proportion of people with higher level qualifications and above-average unemployment. The proportion of the workforce claiming unemployment benefits 3 – Jobseekers’ Allowance and Universal Credit – was 4.5% in December 2020, below the national average of 6.4%. Youth unemployment was much higher, at 9.3%, slightly above the national average. The proportion of working-age Department for Work and Pensions benefit claimants is 13.2%, compared with the average figure for England of 10.7%. The number claiming incapacity benefits is strikingly high at 7.0% of the workforce (England average: 4.5%). The proportion claiming housing benefit is below average. Barrow has the highest proportion of residents providing unpaid care anywhere in Cumbria, a corollary of the high numbers claiming incapacity benefits. There are far fewer benefit claimants in High Furness where the proportion of claimants is below those in Low Furness and the national average on every measure. The number of NEETS in Barrow – young people not in education, employment or training – is the second highest in Cumbria but the rate remains below the national average. 1 Office for National Statistics 2 ONS Output Area Classification 2011 3 Department for Work and Pensions Apprenticeship take-up is healthy, reflecting the strength of the manufacturing sector. In the 2019/20 academic year there were more than 700 apprenticeships started in the Barrow district. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Barrow had the fourth-lowest rate of furloughed workers anywhere in England because the area has a relatively low exposure to the hospitality and retail sectors, which were impacted most by lockdown restrictions. Demographics Like much of Cumbria, Furness has an ageing population. The proportions aged 0-15, and of working-age (16-64), are below the national average. This poses a long-term challenge for businesses looking to recruit as those leaving employment on retirement are likely to outnumber young people entering the workforce. It also has implications for the provision of care for frail older people. Employment and claimant statistics