FOI REF: FOI/2023/5004
You asked
I am researching long term sickness conditions affecting economic inactivity at a local level.
The aggregated Labour Force Survey results provided on the ONS website includes economic inactivity due to long term sickness by main health condition. These are on Worksheet_3.1 and Worksheet_3.2 in the economic inactivity dataset (found here), specifically the sheets titled 'Economic inactivity due to long-term sickness by main health condition, 2019 to 2022'. But metrics are aggregated at a national level only.
Please could you provide the numbers of people aged 16-64 who are economically inactive due to long term sickness by main health condition at LTLA or UTLA level.
I would like this for all years from 2019 inclusive.
We said
Thank you for your query regarding economic inactivity due to long term sickness at a local level.
The number of people who are economically inactive at a local authority level are estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS), a survey based on interviews with members of private households in the UK. All respondents, regardless of labour market status, are asked if they have any health problems lasting 12 months or more that limit the kind of paid work they can do. Those who do are then asked about their main health problem. It is therefore possible to identify the main health problem of those who are economically inactive. However, as reason for economic inactivity and main health condition are collected via two unrelated questions on the APS, the main health condition reported may not necessarily be the main cause of the respondent being economically inactive due to long-term sickness.
Estimates of economic inactivity due to long-term sickness at LTLA and UTLA level are available on NOMIS. To access this data, please follow the instructions below:
Select Query data.
Select Annual Population Survey
Select the geography (local authorities: county, or local authorities: district).
Select date – latest data covers 12 months to September 2022.
Select variable – use the drop-down list to select economically inactive by reason
Select % of economically inactive long-term sick
Select format (Excel or CSV for example)
Select download data
Unfortunately, we do not routinely publish estimates of economic inactivity due to long-term sickness specifically by main health condition at a local authority level.
However, these data are available to request as a bespoke analysis. Such services are subject to legal frameworks, resources and agreement of costs. If you would like to request this bespoke dataset, please socialsurveys@ons.gov.uk to discuss your enquiry further. Please note, there will be a charge for this work which would be subject to our charging policy.
As this information is reasonably accessible via another route, even if only accessible on payment, Section 21(2)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) applies.