Workers and jobseekers in Bexley are the lowest qualified in south east London, new figures show.
The Resolution Foundation think tank said good qualifications are "an important driver of employability and pay growth" and called on policy makers to boost and broaden people's skill sets.
After combining all figures into a composite score, the Office for National Statistics has revealed that Bexley has the worst-qualified workforces in south east London, and among worst-qualified workforces in all of the London boroughs.
Bromley was revealed to have the most qualified workforces in south east London.
We’ve rounded up the latest Census figures across the south east London boroughs.
Bexley
125,345 people were eligible to work in Bexley in 2021; 10,840 (8.7 per cent) had no qualifications whatsoever.
Meanwhile, 10.1 per cent had at least one GCSE or equivalent qualification, 14.8 per cent had five or more GCSEs at A* to C to levels nine to four, 19.9 per cent had two A-levels or equivalent, and 39.8 per cent had a degree or higher education qualification.
Combining all these figures into a composite score means Bexley has among the worst-qualified workforces in London.
Bromley
171,090 people were eligible to work in Bromley in 2021.
Of them, 10,505 (6.1 per cent) had no qualifications whatsoever.
Meanwhile, 7.4 per cent had at least one GCSE or equivalent qualification, 12 per cent had five or more GCSEs at A* to C to levels nine to four, 17 per cent had two A-levels or equivalent, and 52.3 per cent had a degree or higher education qualification.
Bromley workforce ranks 18th in London and 35th across England and Wales.
Greenwich
The latest Census figures show 155,205 people were eligible to work in Greenwich in 2021.
Of them, 13,725 (8.8 per cent) had no qualifications whatsoever.
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Meanwhile, 6.8 per cent had at least one GCSE or equivalent qualification, 9 per cent had five or more GCSEs at A* to C to levels nine to four, 13.8 per cent had two A-levels or equivalent, and 56.2 per cent had a degree or higher education qualification.
Greenwich workforce ranks 17th in London and 34th across England and Wales.
Lewisham
169,570 people were eligible to work in Lewisham in 2021; 13,020 (7.7%) had no qualifications whatsoever.
5.9 per cent had at least one GCSE or equivalent qualification, 8.1 per cent had five or more GCSEs at A* to C to levels nine to four, 13.3 per cent had two A-levels or equivalent, and 60.3 per cent had a degree or higher education qualification.
The Lewisham workforce ranks 14th in London and 19th across England and Wales.
The figures show regional disparity, with some local areas lagging well behind others.
In contrast, just 3.7 per cent of City of London work-eligible people have no qualifications, the highest in the country.
Meanwhile, St Albans and Cambridge are the only places outside of London in the top 10, and the Barking and Dagenham workforce – which is the lowest-ranked in the capital – has higher qualifications than 97 other areas across England and Wales.
Hannah Slaughter, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: "Qualifications and training are an important driver of employability and pay growth.
"The stark qualifications divide uncovered by the census will have worsened already damaging pay and income gaps between places across Britain.
"Policy makers and firms need to do far more both boost and broaden people’s skills and qualifications. This investment will raise incomes, boost growth and help to 'level up' the country."
The types of jobs people worked also tracked closely with qualification differences.
Across England and Wales, 5.6 million people (22.2 per cent) worked in a professional occupation.
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