Employment rate: highest and lowest councils in East of England (March 2026)
Dacorum had the highest employment rate of East of England’s 45 councils in March 2026, at 87.5%.
Luton had the lowest, at 66.1%. The middle council, Huntingdonshire, had 78.1%.
See it on the map| Rank | Council | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dacorum | 87.5% |
| 2 | East Cambridgeshire | 85.6% |
| 3 | Central Bedfordshire | 85.4% |
| 4 | Broadland | 84.8% |
| 5 | North Hertfordshire | 84.2% |
| 6 | East Suffolk | 83.4% |
| 7 | Broxbourne ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 83.3% |
| 8 | Castle Point ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 82.7% |
| 9 | Three Rivers ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 82.5% |
| 10 | South Cambridgeshire | 82.3% |
| 11 | Epping Forest | 81.9% |
| 12 | Bedford | 81.7% |
| 13 | South Norfolk | 81.5% |
| 14 | Harlow ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 81.0% |
| =15 | East Hertfordshire | 79.6% |
| =15 | Uttlesford | 79.6% |
| 17 | Mid Suffolk | 79.5% |
| =18 | Basildon | 79.4% |
| =18 | Cambridge | 79.4% |
| 20 | Braintree | 79.3% |
| 21 | Southend-on-Sea | 79.2% |
| 22 | Breckland | 79.0% |
| =23 | Huntingdonshire | 78.1% |
| =23 | Peterborough | 78.1% |
| 25 | St Albans | 77.9% |
| 26 | Fenland | 77.8% |
| =27 | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 77.2% |
| =27 | Thurrock | 77.2% |
| 29 | West Suffolk | 77.0% |
| 30 | Welwyn Hatfield | 76.7% |
| 31 | Ipswich ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 76.3% |
| 32 | Stevenage ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 76.0% |
| =33 | Babergh ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 75.4% |
| =33 | Rochford ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 75.4% |
| 35 | Great Yarmouth ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 74.8% |
| 36 | Colchester | 74.3% |
| 37 | Chelmsford | 74.2% |
| 38 | Brentwood ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 73.7% |
| 39 | Hertsmere ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 73.3% |
| 40 | North Norfolk ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 72.8% |
| 41 | Watford ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 72.6% |
| 42 | Norwich | 72.4% |
| 43 | Maldon ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 71.4% |
| 44 | Tendring ONS rates this figure as uncertain. The survey sample in this council is small, so the margin of error is wide (more than 7.5 percentage points either way) or ONS does not publish one. | 67.0% |
| 45 | Luton | 66.1% |