The county’s economic structure is distinctive. A relatively small business stock exists and the majority of employers in the private sector are small businesses, whilst a significant proportion of the population is self-employed. There is a strong reliance on the public sector for employment, with almost one in three people working in the various sub-sectors of health and social work, education and public administration. Northumberland’s unemployment rate tends to be much lower than other parts of the North East and the employment rate tends to remain fairly buoyant, mostly reflecting national trends.