There were almost 34.2 million people employed in the United Kingdom in the three months to September 2025. In general, the number of people employed has consistently increased, with noticeable dips in employment occurring in 2008 due to the global financial crisis and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Labor market hot streak in 2022 Although there was a sharp increase in the UK's unemployment rate in the aftermath of COVID-19, the UK labor market bounced back forcefully after this sudden shock. By the middle of 2022, the UK's unemployment rate had recovered to pre-pandemic levels, while the number of job vacancies in the UK reached record highs. Wage growth was, by this point, growing at a much slower rate than inflation, which peaked at 11.1 percent in October 2022. In the two years since this peak, the UK labor market has cooled slightly, with unemployment reaching 4.4 percent by December 2024 and the number of job vacancies falling to the lowest figures since May 2021. Characteristics of UK workers As of 2024, the majority of UK workers were working in the private sector, at over 27.6 million workers. In the same year, the size of the UK's public sector workforce stood at approximately 6.1 million, with over two million of these people working for the UK's National Health Service (NHS) and a further 1.66 million in the public education sector. In the UK's private sector, the industry sector that employed the most people was wholesale and retail, which had a workforce of over 4.9 million people, followed by administrative and support service roles at around 3.1 million.

Employment by industry and sex, UK, published quarterly, non-seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.

In the 3rd quarter of 2025, the employment rate in the United Kingdom was 75 percent, down from 75.3 percent in the previous quarter. After almost dropping to 70.1 percent in 2011, the employment rate in the United Kingdom started to climb at a relatively fast pace, peaking in early 2020. Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, employment declined to 74.6 percent by January 2021. Although not quite at pre-pandemic levels, the employment rate has since recovered. Labor market trouble in 2025? Although unemployment in the UK spiked at 5.3 percent in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, it fell throughout most of 2022, to just 3.6 percent in August 2022. Around that time, the number of job vacancies in the UK was also at quite high levels, reaching a peak of 1.3 million by May 2022. The strong labor market put employees in quite a strong position, perhaps encouraging the high number of resignations that took place around that time. Since 2023, however, the previously hot labor market has cooled, with unemployment reaching 4.6 percent in April 2025 and job vacancies falling to a four-year low of 736,000 in May 2025. Furthermore, the number of employees on UK payrolls has fallen by 227,500 in the first five months of the year, indicating that 2025 will be a tough one for the labor market. Headline economic measures revised in early 2025 Along with the unemployment rate, the UK's inflation rate is also expected to be higher than initially thought in 2025, reaching a rate of 3.2 percent for the year. The economy will also grow at a slower pace of one percent rather than the initial prediction of two percent. Though these negative trends are not expected to continue in the long term, the current government has already expended significant political capital on unpopular decisions, such as the cutting of Winter Fuel Payments to pensioners in 2024. As of June 2025, they are almost as unpopular as the previous government, with a net approval rating of -52 percent.

United Kingdom UK: Part Time Employment: % of Total Employment data was reported at 33.690 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 34.070 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Part Time Employment: % of Total Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 33.310 % from Dec 1983 (Median) to 2017, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 36.160 % in 2010 and a record low of 27.190 % in 1983. United Kingdom UK: Part Time Employment: % of Total Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Part time employment refers to regular employment in which working time is substantially less than normal. Definitions of part time employment differ by country.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: More and more women are working part-time and one of the concern is that part time work does not provide the stability that full time work does.

As of the third quarter of 2025, the employment rate in the United Kingdom was highest among 35 to 49-year-old's, with ** percent of that age group employed. In the same quarter, approximately **** percent of over 65s were employed, a peak for this provided time period, while the employment rate for 16 to 24s was **** percent, one of the lowest rates for this age group.

Educational status and labour market status of people aged 16 to 24 years, by sex, in and out of full-time education, UK, rolling three-monthly figures published monthly, seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.

Employment Rate in the United Kingdom decreased to 75 percent in September from 75.10 percent in August of 2025. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Employment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Full-time, part-time and temporary workers, by sex, UK, rolling three-monthly figures published monthly, seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.

United Kingdom UK: Employers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data was reported at 2.439 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.442 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Employers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 3.025 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.988 % in 1991 and a record low of 2.439 % in 2017. United Kingdom UK: Employers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a 'self-employment jobs' i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

There were around 25.6 million full-time workers in the United Kingdom as of the third quarter of 2025. Compared with 2000, there has been a net increase of around five million full-time workers in the UK, despite a significant dip in full-time employment between 2008 and 2010.

In the third quarter of 2025, the employment rate for men aged between 16 and 64 in the United Kingdom was 77.7 percent, while for women it was 72.5 percent. The male employment rate has consistently been higher than that of females in this provided time period, although the gap was much greater at the start of this period.

Full Time Employment in the United Kingdom increased to 25567 Thousand in September from 25563 Thousand in August of 2025. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Full Time Employment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This dataset has now been discontinued following a user consultation. However figures for employment by occupation, sourced from our Annual Population Survey are available on our NOMIS website.

Quarterly and historical data on employment rates of people in the UK by parental status.

The Labour Market Indicators spreadsheet for boroughs and regions will no longer be updated from March 2015. The final version from March 2015 will still be available to download at the bottom of this page. Most of the data is available within datasets elsewhere on the Datastore.

Workforce Jobs
Unemployment
Model based Unemployment for Boroughs
Claimant Count rates for Boroughs and Wards
Employment Rate Trends
Employment rates by Gender, Age and Disability
Number of Self Employed, Full and Part Time Employed
Employment by Occupation
Employment by Industry
Employment, Unemployment, Economic Activity and Inactivity Rates by Disability
Employment by Ethnicity
Economic Inactivity by Gender and Reason
Qualifications of Economically Active, Employed and Unemployed
Qualification levels of working-age population
Apprenticeship Starts and Achievements
Young People Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET), Borough
19 year olds Qualified to NVQ Level 3
GCE A level examination results of 16-18 year olds
GCSE Results by Pupil Characteristics
People Claiming Out-of-Work Benefits
People Claiming Incapacity Benefit
Children Living in Workless Households
Gross Value Added, and Gross Disposable Household Income
Earnings by place of residence
Earnings by place of work
Business Demographics
Employment projections by sector
Jobs Density
Population Estimates
Population Migration

Core Indicators

Number of London residents of working age in employment
Employment rate
Number of male London residents of working age in employment
Male employment rate
Number of female London residents of working age in employment
Female employment rate
Workforce jobs
Jobs density
Number

United Kingdom UK: Vulnerable Employment: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data was reported at 12.982 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.056 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Vulnerable Employment: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 10.111 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.056 % in 2016 and a record low of 9.081 % in 2001. United Kingdom UK: Vulnerable Employment: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Vulnerable employment is contributing family workers and own-account workers as a percentage of total employment.; ; Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

United Kingdom UK: Employment In Agriculture: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data was reported at 1.111 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.124 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Employment In Agriculture: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 1.366 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.255 % in 1991 and a record low of 1.058 % in 2013. United Kingdom UK: Employment In Agriculture: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The agriculture sector consists of activities in agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing, in accordance with division 1 (ISIC 2) or categories A-B (ISIC 3) or category A (ISIC 4).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

Annual employee and employment estimates for Great Britain and UK split by two, three and five-digit Standard Industrial Classification: SIC 2007. Results given by full-time or part-time and public or private splits.

This dataset provides values for EMPLOYMENT RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.