You asked
I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
I understand that the ONS collates data on the proportion of local authorities' populations who claim JSA (see: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/interactive/theme-pages/index.html).
I would like all of the ONS data on local authority JSA claimant counts (or, prior to the late-1990s, Income Support), in Excel spreadsheet format, going back as far as you have data for.
If you do not have the data, I would be grateful if you could direct me to a body which may now hold it.
We said
Thank you for your request for information regarding local authority JSA claimant counts.
This information is published on our Nomis website which includes a wide variety of claimant count statistics for local authorities and other geographies, accessible in Excel format. However, you should be aware that downloads above a certain size are automatically created in .csv format, rather than Excel, but these can then be opened using Excel.
The main dataset of levels and proportions of population aged from 16 to 64 years includes figures from 1983 onwards. Levels are available from June 1983 and proportions from January 1992. Data for Northern Ireland local authorities is only available from 1987.
If you have any problems using the Nomis website, there is a dedicated Nomis Helpdesk that can assist you (tel: 0191 334 2680, email: support@nomisweb.co.uk).