Reference: FOI-2024-1770
You asked
Please provide a breakdown of the total employment within the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code 20 division, for each GB local authority, for the most recent year possible. Provisional 2023 data would be fine, and receiving the data via email would be most ideal.
We said
Thank you for your request.
Data for SIC 20 up to 2022 by local authority is available by Nomis, using open access. Please see the following link: NOMIS webservice: Labour Market. This has been downloaded and is available in the associated download.
2023 data is due to be released in October and is therefore exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. As a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.