Main labour market statistics time series data (large dataset).

Flows estimates from the Labour Force Survey, levels and rates, UK, quarterly.

There were over 34.2 million people employed in the United Kingdom in the three months to July 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.

In July 2025, the employment rate in the United Kingdom was 75.2 percent, down from 75.3 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, 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.

Labour market indicators for UK constituent countries and English regions, including employment, unemployment, economic inactivity, workers' hours, jobs and Claimant Count, published monthly.

United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Aged 15-24 data was reported at 57.717 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 57.889 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 61.869 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 71.828 % in 1990 and a record low of 57.407 % in 2014. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Aged 15-24 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: Labour Force. Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections. National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Labour market statistics summary data table, including earnings, employment, unemployment, redundancies and vacancies, Great Britain and UK, published monthly.

United Kingdom UK: Labour Force data was reported at 33,870,286.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 33,693,492.000 Person for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 30,005,845.500 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 33,870,286.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 28,418,872.000 Person in 1995. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force 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: Labour Force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.; ; Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database and World Bank population estimates. Labor data retrieved in September 2018.; Sum; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

As of the second 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.

This report analyses graduate unemployment over the recent past and considers the wages of graduates in the UK. Source agency: Office for National Statistics Designation: National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: Graduates in the UK labour market

Contains the latest data for employment, economic activity, economic inactivity, unemployment, claimant count, average earnings, productivity, unit wage costs, vacancies and labour disputes. Source agency: Office for National Statistics Designation: National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: LMS

United Kingdom UK: Labour Force: Female: % of Total Labour Force data was reported at 46.528 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 46.515 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force: Female: % of Total Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 45.614 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 46.528 % in 2017 and a record low of 43.192 % in 1990. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force: Female: % of Total Labour Force 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: Labour Force. Female labor force as a percentage of the total show the extent to which women are active in the labor force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.; ; Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database and World Bank population estimates. Labor data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Ratio of Female to Male data was reported at 83.419 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 83.277 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Ratio of Female to Male data is updated yearly, averaging 78.418 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83.419 % in 2017 and a record low of 70.182 % in 1990. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Ratio of Female to Male 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: Labour Force. Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate is calculated by dividing female labor force participation rate by male labor force participation rate and multiplying by 100.; ; 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. National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

This report compares the employment rates of those aged 16-64, and those aged 65 and above, and their different characteristics. Source agency: Office for National Statistics Designation: National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: Older Workers in the Labour Market

As of the second quarter of 2025, the employment rate of England stood at 75.6 percent, the highest employment rate of the four countries of the United Kingdom. By contrast, Northern Ireland had the lowest employment rate, at 71.6 percent.

United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: Aged 15-24 data was reported at 58.630 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 58.819 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 64.866 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 76.730 % in 1990 and a record low of 58.630 % in 2017. United Kingdom UK: Labour Force Participation Rate: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: Aged 15-24 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: Labour Force. Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections. National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Labor force, total in United Kingdom was reported at 35358530 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Labor force, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.