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

In March 2025, the employment rate in the United Kingdom was 75 percent, down from 75.1 percent in the previous month. After almost dropping below 70 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, the employment declined to 74.6 percent by January 2021. Although not quite at pre-pandemic levels, the employment rate has since recovered. Hot UK labor market cools in 2023 Although unemployment in the UK spiked at 5.1 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. While wage growth has also been strong since 2022, these gains were cancelled-out for a long period between 2021 and 2023 when inflation grew faster than wages. By July 2023, unemployment had bounced back to 4.3 percent, while the number of job vacancies fell below one million in August 2023 for the first time since August 2021. UK in recession at end of 2023 Although the UK labor market has loosened since 2022, it has generally remained in good health, with unemployment low by historical standards. Inflation also fell throughout 2023, from 10.1 percent at the beginning of the year, to four percent by December. Getting inflation down to more acceptable levels, however, came at the expense of raising the Bank of England's already high-interest rate throughout 2023. The knock-on effect of higher borrowing costs likely did little to spur economic growth that year, with GDP growing by just 0.1 percent in 2023. Even this meager economic growth was only achieved due to growth in the first half of the year. In the second half of 2023, the economy shrank in two consecutive quarters, meaning the UK is officially in recession heading into a probable election year.

Employment levels and rates by country of birth and nationality, UK, published quarterly, non-seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.

As of the first quarter of 2025, the employment rate of England stood at 75.4 percent, the highest employment rate of the four countries of the United Kingdom. By contrast, Wales had the lowest employment rate, at 71.3 percent.

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

There were over 33.9 million people employed in the United Kingdom in the three months to March 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 which 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.

In the first quarter of 2025, the employment rate for men aged between 16 and 64 in the United Kingdom was 78.1 percent, while for women it was 72 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.

As of the first 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.

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

Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity levels and rates by age group, UK, rolling three-monthly figures, seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Employment Rate Total: From 25 to 54 Years for United Kingdom (LREM25TTGBQ156S) from Q2 1999 to Q1 2025 about 25 to 54 years, employment-population ratio, United Kingdom, employment, population, and rate.

Unemployment Rate in the United Kingdom increased to 4.50 percent in March from 4.40 percent in February of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Employment by age and sex for UK regions and countries, rolling three-monthly figures published monthly, not seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey.

The unemployment rate of the United Kingdom was 4.5 percent in March 2025, an increase from the previous month. Before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK had relatively low levels of unemployment, comparable with the mid-1970s. Between January 2000 and the most recent month, unemployment was highest in November 2011 when the unemployment rate hit 8.5 percent. Will unemployment continue to rise in 2025? Although low by historic standards, there has been a noticeable uptick in the UK's unemployment rate, with other labor market indicators also pointing to further loosening. In December 2024, the number of job vacancies in the UK, fell to its lowest level since May 2021, while payrolled employment declined by 47,000 compared with November. Whether this is a continuation of a broader cooling of the labor market since 2022, or a reaction to more recent economic developments, such as upcoming tax rises for employers, remains to be seen. Forecasts made in late 2024 suggest that the unemployment rate will remain relatively stable in 2025, averaging out at 4.1 percent, and falling again to four percent in 2026.
Demographics of the unemployed As of the third quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate for men was slightly higher than that of women, at 4.4 percent, compared to 4.1 percent. During the financial crisis at the end of the 2000s, the unemployment rate for women peaked at a quarterly rate of 7.7 percent, whereas for men, the rate was 9.1 percent. Unemployment is also heavily associated with age, and young people in general are far more vulnerable to unemployment than older age groups. In late 2011, for example, the unemployment rate for those aged between 16 and 24 reached 22.3 percent, compared with 8.2 percent for people aged 25 to 34, while older age groups had even lower peaks during this time.

As of the first quarter of 2025, South West England had the highest rate of employment in the United Kingdom at 79.9 percent. By contrast, North East England had the lowest employment rate at 68 percent.

United Kingdom Employment Rate: sa: Aged 35 to 49 data was reported at 85.010 % in Aug 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 85.034 % for Jul 2018. United Kingdom Employment Rate: sa: Aged 35 to 49 data is updated monthly, averaging 81.878 % from Apr 1992 (Median) to Aug 2018, with 317 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 85.299 % in Feb 2018 and a record low of 78.780 % in Mar 1993. United Kingdom Employment Rate: sa: Aged 35 to 49 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.G008: Labour Force: Employment Rate.

United Kingdom Employment Rate: sa: Aged 25 to 34 data was reported at 83.379 % in Aug 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 83.244 % for Jul 2018. United Kingdom Employment Rate: sa: Aged 25 to 34 data is updated monthly, averaging 79.515 % from Apr 1992 (Median) to Aug 2018, with 317 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83.819 % in Dec 2017 and a record low of 73.371 % in Nov 1992. United Kingdom Employment Rate: sa: Aged 25 to 34 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.G008: Labour Force: Employment Rate.

Number and percentage of residents aged 16-64 who are in employment by sex (000's) (seasonally adjusted), for rolling quarters since 1992 by region and country. The figures in this dataset are adjusted to compensate for seasonal variations in employment. Figures are released every month for rolling quarters. Data from ONS Table HI00. The data are taken from the Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey, produced by the Office for National Statistics. Click here to visit the Regional labour market statistics pages from the Office for National Statistics Note: From 17 December 2024, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reweighted Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates, affecting data from January to March 2019 onwards. This reweighting, based on updated 2022 population projections, creates a discontinuity with data prior to January - March 2019. To mitigate this, ONS has modelled seasonally adjusted UK employment, unemployment, and economic inactivity rates and levels by sex and age band back to 2011, ensuring comparability for key measures.

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.