500 people aged 18 to 24 claimed out-of-work benefits in West Berkshire in September, up 41% in a year and the most since 2021. Newbury Greenham rose most.
500 people aged 18 to 24 were claiming unemployment-related benefits in West Berkshire in September 2026. That is the highest figure since September 2021, when the count was still falling after the pandemic.
A year earlier it was 355. The rise of 145 is 41%, almost four times the rate for the UK as a whole.
The figures are from the ONS claimant count, published through nomis on 20 October.
The district’s overall count reached 2,455 in September. That is up 75 in a month and 135 in a year, and the highest total since February 2022. It is 2.4% of residents aged 16 to 64, still below the South East’s 3.1% and the UK’s 3.9%.
Up 50 in a single month
The 18 to 24 count rose from 450 in August to 500 in September. That is the biggest one-month rise in the two years shown below.
For a year the count barely moved, sitting between 330 and 360. It began rising in October 2025, reached 430 in March 2026 and stayed there through the summer. The last two months have added another 75.
The 18 to 24 band grew by 145 between September 2025 and September 2026. The district’s whole count grew by 135, so the rest of the count fell slightly overall.
Faster than anywhere else in Berkshire
The change in 18 to 24 year old claimants between September 2025 and September 2026:
| Area | Sep 2025 | Sep 2026 | Change | Overall rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Berkshire | 355 | 500 | +40.8% | 2.4% |
| Bracknell Forest | 380 | 460 | +21.1% | 2.8% |
| Wokingham | 385 | 460 | +19.5% | 2.0% |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 330 | 365 | +10.6% | 2.5% |
| Reading | 880 | 960 | +9.1% | 4.2% |
| Slough | 930 | 960 | +3.2% | 6.0% |
| South East | 32,090 | 36,255 | +13.0% | 3.1% |
| United Kingdom | 309,835 | 342,635 | +10.6% | 3.9% |
The overall rate is the share of all residents aged 16 to 64 who are claiming. West Berkshire’s is still the second lowest in the county, after Wokingham. But it now has more 18 to 24 year old claimants than Bracknell Forest or Wokingham, both of which had more a year ago.
By age
West Berkshire had 2,320 claimants in September 2025 and 2,455 in September 2026:
| Age | Sep 2025 | Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 17 | 0 | 5 | +5 |
| 18 to 24 | 355 | 500 | +145 |
| 25 to 29 | 265 | 270 | +5 |
| 30 to 34 | 290 | 250 | -40 |
| 35 to 39 | 255 | 280 | +25 |
| 40 to 44 | 265 | 245 | -20 |
| 45 to 49 | 225 | 210 | -15 |
| 50 to 54 | 205 | 205 | 0 |
| 55 to 59 | 210 | 220 | +10 |
| 60 to 64 | 210 | 200 | -10 |
| 65 and over | 45 | 65 | +20 |
Newbury Greenham had the biggest ward rise
Across the district’s 24 wards, the count rose by 75 between August and September. Newbury’s five wards took 40 of them, going from 890 to 930.
- Newbury Greenham: 265 to 285, the most claimants of any ward and the biggest rise. Its 18 to 24 count went from 35 to 45.
- Newbury Central: 190 to 205. Its rate of 4.1% is the highest in the district.
- Newbury Wash Common: 95 to 100, rate 1.9%
- Newbury Speen: unchanged at 170, rate 3.6%
- Newbury Clay Hill: unchanged at 170, rate 3.3%
Outside Newbury, Hungerford and Kintbury rose by 15, to 145. Burghfield and Mortimer rose by 10, to 150, and Thatcham North East by 10, to 140. Tilehurst Birch Copse fell by 10, to 110.
Basildon ward has the lowest rate, at 1.2%.
Nomis rounds every count to the nearest five, so a change of five in a single ward means very little. The 24 ward counts add up to 2,450, against the district total of 2,455, for the same reason.
August has been revised down
The ONS revises each month’s figures once the next release comes out. In our August report we gave the district total as 2,425 and the 18 to 24 count as 460. Those are now 2,380 and 450. The September rise is measured against the revised figures.
What the claimant count measures
The claimant count is not the unemployment rate. It counts people on Universal Credit who are required to look for work, plus the remaining Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants. Some are in work on low hours.
People who are out of work but not claiming do not appear at all. The ONS labels the local figures official statistics in development.
What it means for you
- If you are 18 to 24 and looking for work in West Berkshire, more people are in the same position than at any point in five years. The National Careers Service helpline, 0800 100 900, is free and does not need a benefit claim.
- If you are hiring, there are 145 more 18 to 24 year olds claiming and required to look for work locally than a year ago.
- If you want to check your own ward, the full series is free to query at nomisweb.co.uk.
The October figures are due next month. Our earlier reports cover August and July. For the other side of the local money picture, see West Berkshire house prices.
Sources
- ONS claimant count, dataset NM_162_1, via nomis, September 2026 release, published 20 October 2026. District, county, regional and UK figures are for all claimants aged 16 and over unless an age band is given; rates are the share of residents aged 16 to 64; ward figures use wards as of May 2025. All counts are rounded to the nearest five.
Have your say