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Liverpool City Region Labour Market Data 2026 for AEB and ESFA Training Providers
Synopsis
Liverpool City Region labour market data 2026 for training providers, covering employment, unemployment, NEET levels, sector demand, AEB and ESFA funding, and how to use LMI in curriculum planning and compliance.
Key Insight
This 2026 overview of Liverpool City Region labour market data helps AEB- and ESFA-funded training providers understand employment, unemployment, NEET, and skills demand across the six local authorities.
Liverpool City Region has a below‑average employment rate (around 70–72%), a higher‑than‑average unemployment rate, and NEET levels above the England average, with strongest demand in health, logistics, construction, and digital roles.
Regional Employment and Economic Health
This section summarises 2026 Liverpool City Region employment, unemployment, and NEET data compared with England, using ONS and LCRCA sources.
Employment Rate
- Liverpool City Region: 70-72%
- England average: 75.0%
- Significantly below national; central Liverpool recovering faster than Knowsley and St Helens
Unemployment Rate
- Liverpool City Region: 5.5-6.0%
- England average: 5.0%
- One of highest in England; concentrated in Knowsley and Liverpool city
NEET Rate (16-24)
- Liverpool City Region: 14-15%
- England average: 12.8%
- Persistent worklessness cycles drive need for sustained employability provision
Median Annual Earnings
- Liverpool City Region: £34,000-36,000
- England average: £39,000
3-Year Trend: Moderate employment growth expected in health, logistics, and digital sectors
Source: ONS Labour Market Statistics, LCRCA Economic Data
Regional Skills Priorities
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority skills plans highlight digital, health, construction, advanced manufacturing, and the visitor economy as priority sectors for 2025–26.
AEB Annual Allocation: £34M (Adult Skills Fund)
Priority Skills Areas (from LCRCA Skills Strategy):
- Digital and Technology – Software development, data analysis, cyber security
- Advanced Manufacturing – Halewood automotive cluster, CNC machining, mechatronics
- Health and Social Care – Healthcare assistants, nursing associates, support workers
- Construction and Regeneration – Retrofit, electrical installation, site management
- Visitor Economy – Hospitality, tourism (central Liverpool focus)
Priority Learner Groups:
- Long-term unemployed with repeated worklessness
- Young people aged 16-24 (highest NEET in England)
- Residents in Knowsley and inner Liverpool wards
- Low-skilled adults in care, retail, hospitality sectors
Source: LCRCA Commissioning Priorities 2025-26
Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning
National Context (England 2024-25):
- Annual Starts: 352,680
- Annual Achievements: 198,330
- Achievement Rate: 56.3%
Level Distribution (England):
- Level 2: 29%
- Level 3: 31%
- Level 4+: 40%
Regional Focus Areas:
- Health and care apprenticeships
- Engineering (Halewood supply chain)
- Business administration
- Facilities management
Common Challenges: Limited SME supervisory capacity, funding complexity, workplace readiness gaps
Source: DfE Apprenticeship Statistics 2024-25
Provider and Employer Landscape
Major FE Colleges:
- Liverpool City College – Good (Ofsted) – Liverpool
- Wirral Met College – Good (Ofsted) – Wirral
- St Helens College – Outstanding (Ofsted) – St Helens
- Southport College – Good (Ofsted) – Southport
- Knowsley Community College – Good (Ofsted) – Knowsley
Independent Training Providers: See LCRCA provider directory for complete listings.
Major Employers (Top 10):
- Jaguar Land Rover – Manufacturing (Halewood)
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Trust – Health
- Peel Ports – Logistics
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport – Aviation
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust – Health
- Unilever – Manufacturing (Port Sunlight)
- Santander UK – Financial Services (Liverpool HQ)
- Liverpool Football Club – Sports/Visitor Economy
- Liverpool John Moores University – Education
- Everton Football Club – Sports/Visitor Economy
Geographic and Deprivation Context
High Deprivation Areas (IMD Bottom Quartile):
- Knowsley (one of most deprived local authorities in England)
- Inner Liverpool wards (Anfield, Everton, Kirkdale)
- Parts of Sefton and St Helens
- Birkenhead, Wirral
Structural Barriers:
- Lower qualification levels
- Higher health-related inactivity
- Reduced transport access
- Weaker employer networks
Provider Implications: Targeted outreach, community-based delivery, flexible scheduling, wraparound support essential
Source: MHCLG Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019
How Providers Use This Data
- Curriculum planning: Align programmes to health, manufacturing, digital priorities
- Employer engagement: Target Halewood automotive cluster and NHS trusts
- Funding applications: Support needs analysis with deprivation and NEET data
- ESFA compliance: Demonstrate labour market alignment in programme design
How Yotru Supports Evidence Management and Learner Progression
Yotru provides digital tools that help training providers structure CV development, feedback, and career action planning within AEB-funded and skills programmes. The platform complements existing MIS, funding, and quality systems and does not replace provider-led compliance or assurance processes.
Time-stamped records generated through Yotru can be integrated into wider learner files and audit trails, supporting more consistent documentation of employability activity and progression while helping to reduce administrative workload.
Learn More
To see how Yotru supports learner documentation, employer-readiness, and evidence management across funded provision, explore the platform or request a short walkthrough.
About the Author
Team Yotru
Employability Systems
Team Yotru
Employability Systems
We build practical career tools for training providers and workforce programs, combining labor market insights with real employment outcomes. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Liverpool City Region labour market is characterised by below-average employment rates, above-average unemployment, and persistent skills gaps in health, construction, manufacturing, and digital sectors. While employment has improved since 2022, structural challenges remain in several local authority areas, particularly in high-deprivation communities.
Audience Context
This article is written for Directors of Operations, Quality, Funding, and Data leads at UK training providers delivering ESFA-funded provision. It provides labour market data and regional context to support curriculum planning, employer engagement, funding alignment, and compliance activity.
Editorial Standards
Yotru content prioritises accuracy, neutrality, and evidence-based guidance. All factual claims are verified against official ONS, DfE, and relevant regional authority sources where available. Articles are reviewed periodically to reflect labour market changes and funding rule updates. This content follows Yotru’s Editorial Policy of providing informational, non-advisory material for workforce and education professionals.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, or funding advice. Training providers remain solely responsible for compliance with ESFA, DfE, UK GDPR, DPA 2018, ICO, and all other applicable requirements.
Labour market data and funding allocations are subject to change. Providers must verify current requirements through official ESFA and relevant commissioning authority publications before implementing any processes described here. This content reflects information available as of the publication date and may not reflect subsequent updates.
Providers should consult official guidance and seek independent professional advice where appropriate. External links are provided for reference only. Yotru is not responsible for third-party content or its accuracy.
UK Regional Training Provider Directories 2026
West Midlands
- West Midlands labour market data 2026 for training providers – Employment, NEET, AEB funding, and skills priorities across Birmingham, Sandwell, Wolverhampton, and the Black Country.
- West Midlands training providers 2026: colleges, apprenticeships & digital skills – Birmingham, Black Country, Coventry FE colleges, AI Academy, Netcom Training, In-Comm, and WMCA AEB-funded provision.
Greater Manchester
- Greater Manchester labour market data 2026 for training providers – Employment trends, unemployment rates, £92M AEB allocation, and digital technology demand across the ten GM boroughs.
- Greater Manchester training providers 2026: colleges, apprenticeships & tech skills – Manchester College, Bolton College, CodeNation, Manchester Digital, and £92M GMCA AEB programmes.
Greater London
- Greater London labour market data 2026 for training providers – London employment statistics, £306M AEB funding, NEET levels, and skills demand across 33 London boroughs.
- Greater London training providers 2026: colleges, apprenticeships & fintech skills – City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway, General Assembly, Makers Academy, and £306M GLA AEB funding.
West Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire labour market data 2026 for training providers – Leeds, Bradford, and Yorkshire employment data, NEET rates, skills gaps, and WYCA funding priorities.
- West Yorkshire training providers 2026: Leeds, Bradford colleges & apprenticeships – Leeds City College, Bradford College, Leeds College of Building, Channel 4 programmes, and £63M WYCA AEB.
Liverpool City Region
- Liverpool City Region labour market data 2026 for training providers – Employment rates, £34M AEB funding, deprivation context, and health and logistics sector demand across Merseyside.
- Liverpool City Region training providers 2026: colleges, apprenticeships & health skills – Liverpool City College, Wirral Met, St Helens College, Baltic Creative, and £34M LCRCA AEB funding.
Related Resources
Platform and Product Resources
- Yotru platform overview – Full capabilities.
- Yotru for educators – For schools and providers.
- Yotru for workforce – For skills programmes.
Yotru Articles
- Employability platforms in education – Platform capabilities.
- Career platforms in education – What works and why.
- Choosing an employability platform – Buying and rollout.
- Measuring career outcomes – Outcome methods.
- Education outcomes platforms – Linking support to results.
Additional Resources
- Gatsby Benchmark 3 in adult ed – Adult guidance at scale.
- Evidencing Gatsby benchmarks – Compliance in practice.
- AI resume builder in universities – HE use cases.
- Resume outcomes for providers – CV impact.
- Libraries and career building – Community partnerships.
- UK Hiring Trends - Job market in the UK
External References
- ONS / Nomis – Liverpool City Region Labour Market Profile (LEP area) – Official employment, unemployment, and inactivity data for the LCR, comparable with North West and Great Britain.
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/lep/1925185554/report.aspx - Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – Local Skills Report & Skills Action Plan – Core indicators, employment rate trends, qualification gaps, and priority sectors across the City Region.
https://liverpoolcityregion-ca.moderngov.co.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=74595 - Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – Long Term Skills Plan – Sets out long‑term vision, essential skills gaps, and post‑16 employment and skills needs, including NEET and attainment context.
https://liverpoolcityregion-ca.moderngov.co.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=74595 - Liverpool City Council – Labour Market Headline Indicators – Resident-based median pay, employment, and sector breakdowns for Liverpool, useful for local earnings and deprivation context.
https://liverpool.gov.uk/council/key-statistics-and-data/headline-indicators/labour-market/ - DfE – NEET and Participation: Local Authority Figures – Official 16–17 NEET and participation data by local authority, allowing you to evidence NEET trends for Liverpool, Knowsley, etc.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neet-and-participation-local-authority-figures - Southport College – Liverpool City Region Labour Market Information (May 2022) – Accessible LCR LMI briefing covering employment rate, youth unemployment, and qualification levels across the City Region.
https://www.southport.ac.uk/documents/Liverpool-City-Region-Labour-Market-Information-May-2022.pdf - Nomis – Liverpool Local Authority Labour Market Profile – Detailed local authority view (e.g. Liverpool) for employment, unemployment, and economic inactivity to support ward-level commentary.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/labourmarketlocal/E08000012/ - Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – Annual Performance / Economic Report 2024–25 – Wider economic and labour market exclusion narrative, including health-related inactivity and youth skills gaps.
https://liverpoolcityregion-ca.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s81201/Appendix%201%20-%202024-25%20Annual%20Performance%20Report.pdf
Maintained by: Labor Intelligence Group at Yotru
Review cycle: Reviewed periodically to reflect evolving hiring trends
Last updated: February 10, 2026
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