Why inclusive employment matters

The case for inclusive hiring and retention is clear. Here’s what the data tells us about work, health, and your business.

Over 109,000 Norfolk residents aged 16-64 are economically inactive (20.6% of working-age population, 2024).
7% of economically inactive Norfolk residents cite long-term sickness as the reason – above the UK average (27.2%) and significantly higher than pre-Covid levels (23.7% in 2019).
Mental and behavioural disorders account for over 51% of Employment and Support Allowance claims in Norfolk.
Musculoskeletal conditions (back, joint and limb problems) are the second most common cause of inability to work, accounting for 12.1% of all ESA claims.
Over 20,000 Norfolk residents want to work but are excluded from the labour market.
Norfolk’s working-age population is projected to remain broadly flat to 2040 while the older population grows significantly, meaning employers cannot afford to exclude any willing workers.

*Data sources: Norfolk Health & Work Programme (April 2025), Norfolk Population Projections (ONS), DWP Stat-Xplore May 2024.

Good work is good for health

There is strong scientific evidence that good quality work protects against depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality when compared to being unemployed or economically inactive. Work provides purpose, structure, social connection, and financial independence, all recognised as wider determinants of health. For many people with long-term conditions, appropriate, well-supported work actively improves their health and helps with recovery.

What does sickness absence and staff turnover really cost?

Long-term sickness and economic inactivity due to ill health are major challenges for the UK economy, costing billions each year, with an average of £120 profit lost by all organisations daily. But the impact is not just national, it is felt locally by employers across Norfolk every day.

For many businesses, especially small and medium-sized employers, losing a valued member of staff can be difficult, disruptive, and expensive. When someone is unable to stay in work because of a health condition, disability, mental health challenge, or another barrier, the cost can quickly build through lost productivity, temporary cover, recruitment, training, and the loss of knowledge within the team.

In Norfolk, where many employers rely on close-knit teams, specialist skills, and strong local relationships, retaining good people matters. Supporting someone to stay in work, return from absence, or make small adjustments to their role can often be far more effective than starting again with recruitment.