Stevenage's claimant count rose 120 in August to 2,125, the biggest monthly jump since February 2021 and the highest total since 2022. Under-25s rose fastest.

The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Stevenage rose by 120 in August, to 2,125. That is the biggest one-month rise in the borough since February 2021, when the country was in its third lockdown, and the highest total since February 2022.

The figures come from the Office for National Statistics claimant count, published through nomis on 15 September. They cover Stevenage borough, so Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock are not in them.

The rise is unusual for the month. In each of the four previous years, August in Stevenage was flat or down:

August, on the previous month Change
2022 down 45
2023 down 30
2024 up 30
2025 down 45
2026 up 120

Nothing in the data explains why. What follows is what it does show.

Stevenage’s claimant count, August by August

Stevenage claimant count in August, 2022 to 2026 A line showing the Stevenage claimant count each August. August 2022 was 1,600, August 2023 was 1,770, August 2024 was 2,070, August 2025 was 1,995 and August 2026 was 2,125. The 2026 figure is the highest of the five and the highest since February 2022, when the count was 2,195. People claiming unemployment-related benefits in Stevenage, each August 1,500 1,750 2,000 2,250 February 2022, 2,195the last month this high 1,600 1,770 2,070 1,995 2,125 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Source: ONS claimant count via nomis, released 15 September 2026. Not seasonally adjusted. Graphic by Stevenage Today.

The count fell to 1,600 in August 2022, its lowest point after the pandemic, and has drifted up since. It had been broadly flat for two years, moving between 1,915 and 2,115 every month, until last month. The dashed line is February 2022, the last time the borough was this high.

Under-25s are rising fastest

The age split is where the movement is sharpest.

Age August 2025 July 2026 August 2026
16 to 24 395 460 500
25 to 49 1,145 1,050 1,105
50 and over 455 495 520
All ages 1,995 2,005 2,125

Claimants aged 16 to 24 are up 105 in a year, a rise of about 27%. They now make up 23.5% of everyone claiming in the borough, against 19.8% a year ago. The 50-and-over group is up 65 on the year. The 25 to 49 group is the only one lower than it was last August.

Men account for 1,215 of the August total and women 910. The month’s rise splits 80 and 40.

How Stevenage compares with the rest of Hertfordshire

Stevenage’s rate is 3.6% of residents aged 16 to 64. That is joint second-highest of the ten Hertfordshire districts, level with Hertsmere and behind Watford on 4.6%.

District Rate, August 2026 Change on the month
Watford 4.6% up 90
Hertsmere 3.6% up 60
Stevenage 3.6% up 120
Broxbourne 3.3% up 15
Dacorum 3.2% up 60
Welwyn Hatfield 3.2% up 5
Three Rivers 2.7% up 30
North Hertfordshire 2.4% up 25
St Albans 2.4% up 40
East Hertfordshire 2.0% up 60

Every district went up in August. Stevenage went up by more than any of them, and by more than Watford, which has the bigger working-age population and the higher rate.

Against the wider picture, Stevenage is above its county and below the country. Hertfordshire as a whole is on 3.0%, the United Kingdom on 3.9% and England on 4.0%.

This is not the GSK figure

GSK said in July that it will vacate its Stevenage research site by 2029, affecting about 1,800 roles according to the borough council’s own report. None of that is in these numbers. The move is phased to 2029 and no redundancies have been announced. The council’s own timetable has it monitoring a GSK employee consultation between now and January.

August’s rise is a separate thing, and the claimant count does not say who the extra 120 people worked for or whether they worked at all.

What the claimant count is, and is not

The ONS is explicit that this is not an unemployment rate. Its quality and methodology note says the count “does not attempt to measure unemployment, which is a concept defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as all those who are out of work, actively seeking work and available to start work”.

What it does measure is “the number of people claiming benefits principally for the reason of being unemployed, based on administrative data from the benefits system”. Since Universal Credit that includes people who are in work but on low earnings and still required to look for more.

Two further caveats worth carrying:

  • The figures are not seasonally adjusted, which is why the August comparison above is made against previous Augusts rather than against July alone.
  • July’s figure can still move. The ONS says the Universal Credit element “allows for revisions to the data for one previous month”, so the 2,005 recorded for July may be restated when the September figures are published on 20 October.

What it means for you

  • If you are looking for work, Jobcentre Plus support and Universal Credit are the route into the count itself. The council’s Stevenage Works programme brings together employers, training providers and employment support in the town.
  • If you are under 25, you are in the group that has grown fastest here over the last year, up about 27%. That is worth knowing when you are told the local jobs market is steady.
  • If you follow the numbers, the next release is 20 October 2026, covering September. We will publish it.
  • If you want the local context, our pages on Stevenage house prices and the GSK taskforce decision cover the other two halves of the town’s economic picture.

Sources