8,140 people in Milton Keynes were claiming unemployment benefits in September, up 275 in a month, three times any September rise since 2022.
8,140 people in Milton Keynes were claiming unemployment related benefits in September 2026. That is 275 more than in August, and the highest count since June 2025.
The figure is the Office for National Statistics claimant count, published today through the Nomis labour market statistics service. It equals 4.1 per cent of everyone in the city aged 16 to 64, up from 4.0 per cent in August.
Over the full year the change is small. The count is 85 higher than in September 2025, when 8,055 people were claiming, and the rate is the same 4.1 per cent.
A bigger September rise than usual
The count often ticks up in September. This year’s rise was far larger than in any of the past four years. The monthly series for Milton Keynes shows the change from August to September was:
| Year | August | September | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,190 | 6,280 | +90 |
| 2023 | 6,670 | 6,700 | +30 |
| 2024 | 8,315 | 8,390 | +75 |
| 2025 | 7,985 | 8,055 | +70 |
| 2026 | 7,865 | 8,140 | +275 |
It was also a sharper month than for the country as a whole. Milton Keynes rose by 3.5 per cent between August and September. England and the South East both rose by 2.4 per cent: England went from 1,459,205 to 1,493,875 claimants, the South East from 182,020 to 186,430.
The figures record how many people are claiming. They do not say why the number moved.
Where it leaves Milton Keynes against its neighbours
The city’s 4.1 per cent rate now matches England’s. It sits well above the South East’s 3.1 per cent and Great Britain’s 3.9 per cent.
Among the councils that border the city, only Bedford has a higher rate:
- Bedford: 4.5 per cent (5,465 claimants)
- Milton Keynes: 4.1 per cent (8,140)
- West Northamptonshire: 3.4 per cent (9,460)
- Buckinghamshire: 3.1 per cent (10,915)
- Central Bedfordshire: 2.6 per cent (5,150)
Young claimants at their highest since 2021
The age breakdown shows every age group rose in September:
| Age | September 2025 | August 2026 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 24 | 1,300 | 1,295 | 1,380 |
| 25 to 49 | 4,850 | 4,620 | 4,750 |
| 50 and over | 1,905 | 1,950 | 2,005 |
The 1,380 claimants aged 16 to 24 is the highest figure for that group since August 2021, when 1,440 were claiming as the count came down from its pandemic peak. Over the year the group grew by 80, or 6.2 per cent. Across England, claimants of that age rose faster, by 10.3 per cent, from 273,345 to 301,395.
The 25 to 49 group is still 100 lower than a year ago. The over 50s are 100 higher, and are above 2,000 for the first time since March 2025.
By sex, 4,370 men and 3,770 women were claiming. Men are up 125 on September 2025 and women down 45.
Nomis rounds each figure to the nearest five, so the age groups add to 8,135 rather than 8,140.
Earlier months have been revised
The ONS revises recent months as late claims are processed. When we reported the June figure in August, it stood at 8,050. The same month now reads 7,935, so the summer dip was deeper than first published.
What it means for you
- If you are claiming, nothing about your claim changes because of these figures. They are a count, not a policy.
- The claimant count is not the unemployment rate. It counts people on Jobseeker’s Allowance, plus Universal Credit claimants who must look for work as a condition of their claim. It comes from benefit records rather than a survey, which is why it is published for every council every month.
- If you are looking for work, local employers post vacancies on our Milton Keynes jobs page. The National Careers Service gives free advice on finding work and training.
The October figure is due in the ONS’s next monthly labour market release, in November, and we will report it then. The full Milton Keynes series back to 2013 is free to query on Nomis.
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