foreword from the director of public health
For my annual report, this year I wanted to take a closer look at the crucial relationship between work and health, and the key role good work plays in alleviating poverty and supporting health and wellbeing in Derbyshire.
During the Covid pandemic, along with the rest of Europe, we saw an increasing number of working age people out of work in England. Whilst other European countries have seen the number of people in work increase since the end of the pandemic, the rates of economically inactive people in England have remained stubbornly high, which has become a national concern. The latest data shows that nationally there has actually been a further increase in people of working age who are not in work. In Derbyshire, in 2025, 93,000 people aged 16-64 (around 1 in 5 of our working age population) were economically inactive. Long term sickness was the most common reason for this.
This report focuses on why good quality work benefits our health and wellbeing, and, in turn, why a healthy working age population is vital for our local economic prosperity. In short, this report tells the story of why improving our health and wellbeing makes good business sense.
Derbyshire is home to 29,890 businesses that employ 295,000 people. We are lucky that overall, Derbyshire has an employment rate above the national average and unemployment rates remain lower than in the rest of England. However, there are certain parts of the County where the unemployment rate is higher than in both the rest of Derbyshire and England.
Some of our residents face significant barriers to entering or returning to work due to ill health, long term health conditions, disabilities, caring responsibilities, or other life circumstances.
For most people being economically inactive is not their choice. For people living in poor health, on low incomes there can be significant challenges to entering or re-joining the workforce. Locally, it is important that we work together across sectors to take collaborative action to help people get into work and/or stay in work wherever possible. This report looks at how we can do that.
We know that being in work can help improve health and wellbeing, make people feel valued, and give them a sense of identity and purpose. For some people being in work can also reduce isolation and loneliness and connect them to their communities, which has wider social benefits.
Bringing home a regular wage helps people to meet their basic needs in terms of housing, security, food, and warmth, and can mitigate or eliminate the impacts of poverty for themselves and their dependents.
The report shares some powerful testimony and reflections from local people who have secured roles with local employers whilst living with a long-term health condition or following a period of poor health. I personally want to say thank you to Dale, Simon, Eleanor, and Rebecca for taking the time to share their experiences on why work is good for their health. The report is all the more impactful for this content.
We know that employers want to support their workforce to stay healthy and well. Workplaces can be key settings to promoting good health and wellbeing. The report showcases two local businesses in Belper and Glossop who are supporting the wellbeing of their employees and I want to encourage all Derbyshire businesses, and especially our larger employers, to consider what more they can do to support health in the workplace.
At the end of this report, we share some key messages about how our local employers, can work together to contribute towards supporting our working age population and making Derbyshire’s future healthy and prosperous. I hope you find the report interesting and thought provoking.
Best wishes
Director of Public Health