Economically active - % of the working age population who are economically active (c18)

• This measures the proportion of the working age population who are economically active.
• A person's economic activity is derived from their activity last week; people who are economically active are those who are either in employment or unemployed (but actively looking for work, waiting to start a new job, or available to start a new job).
• This data comes from the Annual Population Survey (APS), the largest regular household survey in the UK. It includes data from the Labour Force Survey, plus further sample boosts.
• As the survey includes data from a sample, figures are therefore estimates which are subject to sampling variability.
• Economically inactive people are those who are neither employed nor unemployed; they're not in paid work, but they're also not looking for a job or available to start work. A person might be economically inactive for a number of reasons, such as being retired, a student, or too ill to work.

Why this matters

• Measuring economic activity is important because it shows not just how fast the economy is growing, but who is benefiting from that growth. It helps identify barriers that limit participation, particularly for disadvantaged groups, and provides evidence to design policies that support wider access to jobs, skills, and opportunities. 

Latest performance

Economically active

• Figure 18a shows not only a period of relative stability over the 10 years prior to 2020, but also that the % of people economically active in NL exceeded the national average at times.  This period included the 2018 baseline for The Plan for North Lanarkshire and shows that North Lanarkshire figures continued to follow the national average throughout 2019 and into early 2020.
• In 2020 this indicator started to show a decline and remained unsteady before reaching its lowest point to date as at September 2022 (68.8%); the timing of this suggests figures were impacted by the pandemic.  Small gains have been recorded periodically thereafter, with the most recent showing an increase for the last six consecutive quarters from 70.5% as at March 2024 to 77.1% as at September 2025.
• In North Lanarkshire, this equates to around 173,600 people economically active (Figure 18b) with figures almost returning to the pre-pandemic level in 2019 (174,000).
• The latest results (77.1%) are now only slightly below The Plan for North Lanarkshire baseline (77.9%).

Figure 18a shows that the trend in North Lanarkshire did not follow that of the national average during and after the period of the pandemic, however the latest results show figures returning to a similar position with 77.1% economically active in North Lanarkshire compared to 77.3% in Scotland overall.

Economically inactive 

• Figure 18c shows not only a period of relative stability over the 10 years prior to 2020, but also that the % of people economically inactive in North Lanarkshire was below the national average at times. This period included the 2018 baseline for The Plan for North Lanarkshire and shows that North Lanarkshire figures continued to follow the national average throughout 2019 and into early 2020.
• In 2020 this indicator started to show an increase and remained unsteady before reaching its highest point to date as at September 2022 (31.2%); the timing of this suggesting figures were impacted by the pandemic.  Small gains have been recorded periodically thereafter, with the most recent showing a decrease for the last six consecutive quarters from 29.5% as at March 2024 to 22.9% as at September 2025.
• In North Lanarkshire, this equates to around 50,500 people economically active (Figure 18d) with figures almost returning to the pre-pandemic level in 2019 (48,700).
• The latest results (22.9%) are now only slightly below The Plan for North Lanarkshire baseline (22.1%).

Figure 18c shows that the trend in North Lanarkshire did not follow that of the national average during and after the period of the pandemic, however the latest results show figures returning to a similar position with 22.9% economically inactive in North Lanarkshire compared to 22.7% in Scotland overall.

The latest results show consistent trends in the make up of those who are economically inactive, with the highest proportion remaining long-term sick (43%), students (21%), looking after family / home (16%), retired (10%), and other (10%). 

Since 2020, the lowest recorded level of economic inactivity due to long-term sick was in early 2020 (31.5%, around 17,400 people). This fluctuated over the following years, rising to a high of 51.1% at December 2024 before dropping the latest figure of 42.9% (around 21,700).  

Self-employed

• Figure 18e shows that, prior to the pandemic, the number of people who were self-employed in North Lanarkshire as a proportion of the working age population was 7.8% in 2019.
• Self-employed rates then experienced an almost continual downward trend to 3.7% as at  December 2021.  Since December 2021 figures have fluctuated over the years, reaching a high of 7.4% as at September 2024 which has dropped slightly to 6.8% as at September 2025.
• These latest rates account for around 15,900 people as at September 2025.
• The latest rates account for 17,500 people self-employed as at September 2024 - a significant increase that returns self-employment levels in North Lanarkshire to pre-pandemic figures.
• As shown in Figure 18e, over the period of The Plan for North Lanarkshire self-employed rates have decreased slightly from 7.7% to 6.8% (from around 17,800 to 15,900), with significant fluctuations over that time.

Figure 18e shows that self-employed trends in North Lanarkshire over the years have not wholly followed that of the national average, and the latest results (6.8%) while showing a small increase, are below the position for Scotland overall (7.7%).

Impact of delivering The Plan for North Lanarkshire

Increasing the number of people in work supports local economic growth by widening participation in the labour market, reducing poverty, and improving living standards. More people earning a stable income can better support themselves and their families, leading to improved financial security, health, and overall wellbeing. 

At a community level, higher employment strengthens the local economy through increased spending in local businesses, a broader tax base, and reduced demand for public services. Over time, this helps create more resilient places, with households better able to improve their circumstances (through income, education, occupation, and quality of life) and a more stable economic foundation.