There were over 34 million people employed in the United Kingdom in the three months to April 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.
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Employment by industry and sex, UK, published quarterly, non-seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.
There were estimated to be over 37 million workforce jobs in the United Kingdom's economy as of the first quarter of 2025, compared with 36.8 million in the same quarter of 2024.
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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 July of 2025.
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Annual data on size and growth within the UK non-financial business sectors, as measured by the Annual Business Survey, broken down by employment size-bands.
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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.
In 2024, large businesses in the United Kingdom that individually employed 1,000 or more workers collectively employed around 8.2 million people.
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Employment Rate in the United Kingdom increased to 75.10 percent in April from 75 percent in March of 2025. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Employment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.
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39.8% of workers from the Indian ethnic group were in 'professional' jobs in 2021 – the highest percentage out of all ethnic groups in this role.
In 2025, there were over **** million filled jobs in human health and social work in the United Kingdom, the most of any industry. In wholesale and retail, there were around *** million filled jobs, making it the second most common industry in terms of employment.
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Key information about United Kingdom Labour Force Participation Rate
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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.
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Experimental labour market estimates using administrative data to produce adjusted UK employment, unemployment and economic inactivity measures, seasonally adjusted. Includes a breakdown by countries and regions of the UK.
This publication gives the size of the agricultural workforce in England from the Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in June. These statistics include information on the number of farmers, managers and workers on farm split by full time and part time. Age and sex profiles of farm holders are also included.
The dataset includes a longer timeseries of the agricultural workforce along with age and sex profiles of farm holders for those years where the data was collected. Information on financial & legal responsibility status is also included.
Information about the uses and users of the June survey of agriculture and horticulture is available on https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/654304/structure-juneusers-24oct17.pdf" class="govuk-link">gov.uk.
The next update will be announced on the statistics release calendar.
Defra statistics: farming
Email farming-statistics@defra.gov.uk
You can also contact us via Twitter: https://twitter.com/DefraStats" class="govuk-link">https://twitter.com/DefraStats
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Single-month estimates of employment, unemployment and economic inactivity, UK, rolling three-monthly figures published monthly, seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey.
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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.
Labour shortages are hitting UK industries, even as unemployment stays low. Explore the disconnect between workforce headlines and reality, and what it means for business leaders.
Following the identification of a minor error, the Economic Estimates: Employment in the Digital Sector, April 2023 to March 2024 data tables have been corrected and republished.
Employment in the Digital Sector decreased between the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years (between April and the following March), compared to a small amount of employment growth in the UK overall over the same period.
Employment in the Digital Sector during the 2023/24 financial year was approximately 1.8 million filled jobs. This suggests that there has been a 3.4% reduction in employment in the Digital Sector (which includes the Telecommunications Sector) since the 2022/23 financial year (1.9 million filled jobs), reducing back to levels seen in the 2021/22 financial year (1.8 million filled jobs). By comparison, employment in the UK overall increased by 0.4% between the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years.
Employment in the Telecommunications Sector was unchanged between the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years, with approximately 179,000 filled jobs in the sector in both periods.
The Digital Sector accounted for a slightly lower proportion of the UK’s filled jobs during the 2023/24 financial year (5.4%) than in the prior 2022/23 financial year (5.6%). The Telecommunications Sector accounted for a similar proportion of the UK’s filled jobs in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years (0.5%).
In the 2023/24 financial year, the ‘Computer programming, consultancy and related activities’ subsector contributed the majority of filled jobs in the Digital Sector (56.1%). In the 2023/24 financial year, the Telecommunications Sector contributed 9.8% of the filled jobs in the Digital Sector.
In the 2023/24 financial year, the proportions of filled jobs held by women (30.2%) and disabled people (14.2%) in the Digital Sector were smaller than the proportions of filled jobs held by these groups in the UK overall (48.0% and 17.4%, respectively).
In the 2023/24 financial year, the proportion of filled jobs held by individuals with degree level (or equivalent) education in the Digital Sector (63.5%) was larger than the proportion of filled jobs held by this group in the UK overall (43.6%).
12 September 2024
Since the publication of our most recent employment statistics, the ONS has carried out analysis to assess the impact of falling sample sizes on the quality of Annual Population Survey (APS) estimates. Due to the ongoing challenges with response rates, response levels and weighting, the accreditation of ONS statistics based on the Annual Population Survey (APS) was temporarily suspended on 9 October 2024. Because of the increased volatility of both Labour Force Survey (LFS) and APS estimates, the ONS advises that estimates produced using these datasets should be treated with additional caution.
ONS statistics based on both the APS and LFS will be considered Official Statistics in Development until further review. We are reviewing the quality of our estimates and will update users about the accreditation of DSIT Digital Sector Economic Estimates for Employment if this changes.
This is a continuation of the ‘Economic Estimates: Employment in the Digital Sector’ series, previously produced by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Responsibility for Digital policy now sits with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Employment estimates within this release are Accredited Official Statistics, used to provide an estimate of the number of filled jobs in the Digital
The data is broken down by headcount and number of posts (full-time equivalents). The report includes the number of non-payroll staff, and the pay bill costs relating to staff, broken down into component parts (for example, salaries, allowances, and employer’s pensions contributions).
Data from 2010 onwards is also available.
These figures are not official statistics. They are internal workforce management information published in the interests of transparency.
These figures have not been reconciled centrally with any national statistics. Where differences appear between the monthly information and national statistics, clarifying comments will be provided. The Office for National Statistics quarterly public sector employment statistics provide an official headline measure for comparing the overall size of employment in central government organisations with other sectors of the economy at the relevant quarterly reference point.
Some organisations may not have information available for each month, and at this stage coverage may therefore not reach 100% for those organisations in scope.
Given the wide range of organisations covered, caution should be exercised when drawing inferences from the figures and care should be taken when making comparisons between organisations. Users should refer to the additional commentary and notes.
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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.
There were over 34 million people employed in the United Kingdom in the three months to April 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.