1,940 Wirral 18 to 24s were claiming in September, the most since August 2021. The borough total jumped 245 in a month to 7,055. Every ward's figures inside.
1,940 people aged 18 to 24 in Wirral were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September. That is the highest figure for the age group since August 2021, when pandemic job losses were still unwinding.
The number is up 95 in a month and 245 in a year. It is also higher than in any month from September 2019 to March 2020, before the pandemic. (ONS claimant count via Nomis, September 2026)
The borough total rose too. 7,055 people were claiming in September, 3.6 per cent of residents aged 16 to 64. That is 245 more than in August, the biggest monthly rise since July 2024, and the highest total since April 2025.
Young adults account for the whole yearly rise
Over the year, Wirral’s claimant count is up by 90. Young adults explain all of it, and more:
| Age group | September 2025 | September 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 1,695 | 1,940 | +245 |
| 25 to 49 | 3,885 | 3,775 | -110 |
| 50 and over | 1,360 | 1,325 | -35 |
| All ages | 6,965 | 7,055 | +90 |
So claimants aged 25 and over fell by 145 across the year, while 18 to 24s rose by 245.
The September figure has now climbed for four years running. In September 2022 there were 1,465 young claimants in the borough. There are 475 more now.
How Wirral compares
Young adult claims are rising across the country, but faster here. Over the year to September:
- Wirral: 18 to 24 claimants up 14.5 per cent (1,695 to 1,940)
- North West: up 11.2 per cent (39,950 to 44,425)
- UK: up 10.6 per cent (309,835 to 342,635)
The all-age picture runs the other way. Wirral’s total rose 1.3 per cent over the year, against 2.8 per cent for the UK and 4.1 per cent for the North West. The borough’s rate of 3.6 per cent is still below the UK’s 3.9 per cent, England’s 4.1 per cent and the North West’s 4.2 per cent.
Every Wirral ward, September 2026
Twenty of Wirral’s 22 wards saw their count rise or hold in September. Birkenhead and Tranmere and Bidston and St James had the biggest increases, 30 each.
| Ward | Claimants | % of 16 to 64s | Change on August | Aged 18 to 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birkenhead and Tranmere | 1,090 | 9.1% | +30 | 275 |
| Seacombe | 660 | 6.6% | +15 | 175 |
| Bidston and St James | 615 | 5.9% | +30 | 180 |
| Rock Ferry | 570 | 5.5% | +15 | 165 |
| Liscard | 465 | 4.8% | +5 | 120 |
| Leasowe and Moreton East | 375 | 3.9% | +20 | 135 |
| New Brighton | 335 | 3.7% | +5 | 90 |
| Upton | 350 | 3.6% | +15 | 100 |
| Claughton | 310 | 3.3% | +15 | 90 |
| Bromborough | 330 | 3.1% | +15 | 90 |
| Prenton | 290 | 3.1% | +5 | 75 |
| Moreton West and Saughall Massie | 215 | 2.6% | +10 | 70 |
| Oxton | 215 | 2.6% | +10 | 45 |
| Hoylake and Meols | 165 | 2.3% | +15 | 40 |
| Eastham | 185 | 2.2% | +5 | 55 |
| Wallasey | 185 | 2.2% | +15 | 60 |
| Pensby and Thingwall | 135 | 1.9% | -5 | 30 |
| Bebington | 165 | 1.8% | -10 | 40 |
| Greasby, Frankby and Irby | 120 | 1.6% | +5 | 35 |
| West Kirby and Thurstaston | 110 | 1.6% | +15 | 30 |
| Heswall | 90 | 1.3% | 0 | 20 |
| Clatterbridge | 65 | 0.9% | +5 | 20 |
Ward figures are rounded to the nearest five, so small changes can be rounding. The ward totals add to 7,040, not the borough’s 7,055, for the same reason. (ONS claimant count by ward via Nomis)
Birkenhead and Tranmere is now on 9.1 per cent, up from 8.9 per cent in August. Four wards along the Mersey hold 2,935 claimants between them:
- Birkenhead and Tranmere
- Seacombe
- Bidston and St James
- Rock Ferry
That is 42 per cent of the borough total, from four of its 22 wards. At the other end, Clatterbridge is on 0.9 per cent and Heswall on 1.3 per cent.
One note on earlier figures. The ONS revises recent months, and the July total we reported in our July claimant count story, 6,855, now stands at 6,725 in the published series.
What it means for you
The claimant count is not the unemployment rate. It counts people on Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance who are required to look for work. Someone in a low-paid or part-time job can be included. Someone out of work but not claiming is not.
Monthly figures move with the seasons, which is why the chart compares September with September. On that basis this is still the highest September for 18 to 24s since 2021.
If you are 18 to 24 and looking for work in Wirral, two starting points:
- the council’s jobs and training support
- your nearest office through the DWP jobcentre finder
If you want to check a figure yourself, the ONS publishes the claimant count monthly through Nomis, free and without a login, down to ward level. The October figures are due in November.
Related: Wirral house prices and Wirral council tax bands.
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