Calderdale has highest number of 'economically inactive' residents in West Yorkshire
Councillors updated on work figures which showed less than 20% 'wanted a job'
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead.
I hope you’ve had a good weekend so far.
Today is International Women’s Day and I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate the strong women in my life.
I know we shouldn’t need a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women but it’s a great opportunity for all of us to take a step back and look at what more we can do to speed up gender parity.
In today’s edition, we’ve got an interesting report from my LDR colleague John Greenwood that shows Calderdale having the largest number of ‘economically inactive’ residents in the region.
Plus, a couple of nuggets as usual in the Calderdale Digest.
So, on with the news…
Calderdale Digest
🧳Tourist numbers are on the up in Calderdale – and so is the cash they are bringing with them, almost doubling over five years.
While tourism was worth £348 million to the borough’s economy in 2019, its value is £649.6 million in 2024, the latest data available.
Calderdale scrutiny councillors heard the borough is exceeding West Yorkshire averages for both value and numbers.
Using a three-year metric, visitor numbers are up 3.7 per cent on 2023, when figures were last collated.
It all has an impact on the economy, including tourism supporting just under 6,000 jobs – 4,113 directly and 1,668 indirectly, Calderdale Council Place Scrutiny Board members heard.
In their report officers say: “Calderdale’s growth as a visitor destination is thanks in part to its many events and attractions.
“They are powerful economic drivers and bring in thousands of people to the borough each year.”
Councillors heard the Halifax-based Eureka! – national museum of childhood – is number four of the top 15 most visited bookable attractions in West Yorkshire, according to Visit England.
Shibden Hall – historic Halifax home of Anne Lister, subject of television hit series Gentleman Jack – is at number 11.
Events at Halifax’s Piece Hall pulled in more than 185,000 visitors in 2025, and other popular draws ranged from Brighouse’s 1940s weekend to Hebden Bridge’s Handmade Parade.
👔 Almost 100 “early stage” businesses in Calderdale have received support from a regional scheme.
Business support programme Ad:Venture is funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and its partners.
Calderdale Council Cabinet member for Regeneration and Transport, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said local engagement with the scheme remains high.
Recent Calderdale figures showed 92 early-stage businesses in Calderdale received support from Ad:Venture.
Four new jobs had been created as a result and each of those is “high value”, contributing around £55,000 per role to the local economy, Cllr Courtney (Lab, Calder) reported to Calderdale councillors.
The Calderdale businesses taking part claim an average grant of £4,977 per business – one of the higher averages in West Yorkshire, she said.
Ad:Venture is designed to help early stage businesses – those trading fewer than three years – to grow, says WYCA.
More than 32,000 Calderdale residents ‘inactive’ in job market, councillors told
By John Greenwood
Calderdale has the highest number of economically inactive residents in West Yorkshire – but less than 17 per cent of these want a job, councillors heard.
Councillors were being updated on work done as part of “healthy working life” programmes.
From a health point of view, these aim to prevent people from leaving work and support them getting into work, and reducing long-term sickness.
Scrutiny councillors heard that 32,100 residents are classified as “inactive”, the highest in West Yorkshire.
Another 12,000 people are long-term sick, while 15 per cent of Calderdale households are workless, according to a report from officers.
Of those classed as inactive, research showed only 16.9 per cent wanted a job, research showed.
Chairing Place Scrutiny Board, Lib Dem Cllr Abigail White asked why this was.
“What’s the breakdown of that, that so many people weren’t looking for a job or didn’t want a job?” she asked.
Officers said there were a number of reasons and some challenges on what is among “significant” labour market challenges the borough faces.
Some issues were intergenerational – where more than one generation of a family did not work.
Others included people who had, for example, caring responsibilities – 7,100, according to the report.
There was also a high prevalence of mental health need and chronic health conditions, the councillors were told, with fast-track access to help with these part of the programmes.
They heard funding for a further year has been made available for the programmes in Calderdale, which have provided help to 500 people last year.
They will be able to build on the research gained in the past year to develop actions to improve the position, working with partners who include employers, particularly supporting small and medium sized companies which make up a lot of Calderdale’s business sector.
A hyper-local approach means building trust and confidence among people contacting or referred to scheme partners, while prevention – dealing with health issues so people do not leave work – is starting to have impact, councillors heard.
Ultimately, Calderdale’s economy would benefit from people being able to get back into work, councillors heard.
That’s it for this edition of The Calderdale Lead.
We’ll be back with another edition on Wednesday and, as ever, if there’s something you think we should be following up on, feel free to drop me a line on calderdale@thelead.uk.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Andrew