Scotland
Children in workless households
Key points
- Around 120,000 children now live in workless households. Two-thirds of them are in lone parent households.
- The number of children who are in workless households has fallen by around a third over the last decade.
- Two-fifths of all children of lone parents live in households which are workless. This compares to around one in twenty for children of couples.
- The proportion of children who are in workless households in Scotland is slightly lower than the United Kingdom average: 15% compared with 16%.
Graph 1: Over time
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Graph 2: By household type
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Graph 3: Compared to the United Kingdom
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Definitions and data sources
The first graph shows the number of children living in households in which none of the working-age adults is in paid work. The data is separated by household type, namely couple households, lone parent households and other (i.e. more complex) households.
The second graph shows how the proportion of children living in households in which none of the working-age adults is in paid work varies by household type. To improve its statistical reliability, the data is the average for the latest three years.
The third graph shows how the proportion of children living in households in which none of the working-age adults are in paid work in Scotland compares with elsewhere in the United Kingdom. To improve its statistical reliability, the data is the average for the latest three years.
The data source for all the graphs is the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The data for each year is the average for the 2nd and 4th quarters, analysis by household type not being available for the 1st and 3rd quarters. In line with ONS methods, children comprise all those under the age of 16 (i.e. not including people aged 16 to 18 in full-time education).
Overall adequacy of the indicator: high. The LFS is a well-established, quarterly government survey, designed to be representative of the population as a whole.
External links
- See the HM Revenue & Customs site on tax credits, tax credit statistics and child benefit.