8,650 people claimed unemployment-related benefits in August, up 200 on July after four months of falls. At 4.3%, the city sits above the South East and UK.
8,650 people in Brighton & Hove were claiming unemployment-related benefits in August, 200 more than in July. It is the first monthly rise since the count peaked at 8,875 in March, after four months of falls in a row. The figures are from the Office for National Statistics claimant count for August 2026, published on 15 September (ONS via nomis).
That is 4.3 per cent of the city’s residents aged 16 to 64. The South East rate is 3.1 per cent and the UK rate 3.9 per cent, so Brighton & Hove sits above both.
The year so far
The count is 360 higher than in August last year, when it stood at 8,290, a rise of 4.3 per cent over the year. The shape of the last two years is on the chart: a winter climb to a March peak in both years, an easing through the spring and early summer, and now an August uptick. Whether that uptick is the start of another winter climb or a blip will be answered on 20 October, when the September figures are due.
Who is claiming
Of the 8,650 claimants in August:
- 4,885 are aged 25 to 49, the largest group
- 2,190 are aged 50 or over, about a quarter of the total
- 1,575 are aged 16 to 24, about 18 per cent
- 5,075 are men and 3,575 are women, a 59 to 41 split
Where the claimants are
Ward figures are available for the latest month, and they map the count onto the city’s geography. The five wards with the most claimants:
| Ward | Claimants, August 2026 |
|---|---|
| Moulsecoomb & Bevendean | 620 |
| West Hill & North Laine | 580 |
| Kemptown | 565 |
| Hanover & Elm Grove | 555 |
| Whitehawk & Marina | 550 |
At the other end, Rottingdean & West Saltdean has 150 claimants, Wish 220 and Westdene & Hove Park 225. The 23 wards sum to the city total of 8,650.
What the count is, and is not
The claimant count is not the unemployment rate. The ONS says it measures “the number of people claiming benefits principally for the reason of being unemployed, based on administrative data from the benefits system”, and that it “does not attempt to measure unemployment”, which is a separate concept defined by the International Labour Organisation (ONS claimant count methodology). Since Universal Credit, it also includes some people who are in work on low earnings but required to look for more. ONS rounds the figures to the nearest five.
What it means for you
If you are one of the 8,650, the route to support is your local Jobcentre: find your nearest, with Brighton’s at Windsor House on Edward Street. Free careers advice is available through the National Careers Service, by phone and webchat. If you are under 25, ask your work coach about the extra youth support: the Youth Guarantee Journey replaced the old Youth Offer in June 2026 (DWP guidance).
The wider picture for the city’s jobs market this month includes the University of Brighton’s proposal to close its Falmer campus by 2030, and the count lands alongside the city’s other running numbers: house prices and the jobs and notices board.
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