The United Kingdom's unemployment rate rose to 4.2% from December 2023 to February 2024, up from 3.9% in the three months to November and exceeding the market consensus of 4.0%. The number of unemployed individuals increased by 85,000 to a total of 1.44 million, driven by those unemployed for over 6 and up to 12 months and those unemployed for over 12 months. Meanwhile, the number of employed individuals fell by 156,000 to 32.98 million, primarily due to a decrease in part-time employees. Conversely, the number of full-time workers increased during the quarter, as did the number of people in employment with second jobs, accounting for 3.6% of all employed individuals. Finally, the economic inactivity rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 22.2%. source: Office for National Statistics

Unemployment Rate in the United Kingdom increased to 4.20 percent in February from 4 percent in January of 2024. Unemployment Rate in the United Kingdom averaged 6.71 percent from 1971 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 11.90 percent in April of 1984 and a record low of 3.40 percent in December of 1973. This page 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. United Kingdom Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on April of 2024.

Unemployment Rate in the United Kingdom increased to 4.20 percent in February from 4 percent in January of 2024. Unemployment Rate in the United Kingdom is expected to be 4.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 5.00 percent in 2025 and 5.20 percent in 2026, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2024-03-12 07:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 3.9% 3.8% 3.8% 3.9%
2024-04-16 06:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 4.2% 4.0% 4% 4.0%
2024-05-14 06:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Mar 4.2% 4.2%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average Earnings excl. Bonus (3Mo/Yr) 6.00 6.10 percent Feb 2024
Average Weekly Hours 32.10 31.90 Hours Feb 2024
Claimant Count Change 10.90 4.10 Thousand Mar 2024
Employed Persons 32980.00 33107.00 Thousand Feb 2024
Employment Change -156.00 -21.00 Thousand Feb 2024
Employment Rate 74.50 74.80 percent Feb 2024
Full Time Employment 24759.00 24849.00 Thousand Feb 2024
Job Vacancies 916.00 910.00 Thousand Feb 2024
Labor Force Participation Rate 77.80 78.00 percent Feb 2024
HMRC Payrolls Change -66.66 -18.02 Thousand Mar 2024
Part Time Employment 8222.00 8257.00 Thousand Feb 2024
Labour Productivity 102.00 103.00 points Dec 2023
Real Earnings Including Bonuses 1.80 1.40 percent Feb 2024
Unemployed Persons 1583.16 1572.30 Thousand Mar 2024
Unemployment Rate 4.20 4.00 percent Feb 2024
Average Earnings incl. Bonus (3Mo/Yr) 5.60 5.60 percent Feb 2024
Wages 677.00 672.00 GBP/Week Feb 2024
Wages in Manufacturing 736.00 731.00 GBP/Week Feb 2024
Youth Unemployment Rate 11.00 10.20 percent Feb 2024

United Kingdom Unemployment Rate
In the United Kingdom, the headline unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people (aged 16+) divided by the economically active population (aged 16+).
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
4.20 4.00 11.90 3.40 1971 - 2024 percent Monthly

News Stream
UK Jobless Rate Rises More than Expected
The United Kingdom's unemployment rate rose to 4.2% from December 2023 to February 2024, up from 3.9% in the three months to November and exceeding the market consensus of 4.0%. The number of unemployed individuals increased by 85,000 to a total of 1.44 million, driven by those unemployed for over 6 and up to 12 months and those unemployed for over 12 months. Meanwhile, the number of employed individuals fell by 156,000 to 32.98 million, primarily due to a decrease in part-time employees. Conversely, the number of full-time workers increased during the quarter, as did the number of people in employment with second jobs, accounting for 3.6% of all employed individuals. Finally, the economic inactivity rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 22.2%.
2024-04-16
UK Jobless Rate Slightly Up to 3.9%
The United Kingdom's unemployment rate edged up to 3.9% from November 2023 to January 2024, largely unchanged from the previous quarter but slightly above the market consensus of 3.8%. The number of unemployed individuals decreased by 8,000 to a total of 1.36 million, driven by those unemployed for up to 12 months. Meanwhile, the number of individuals unemployed for over 12 months increased in the latest quarter, following declines over the past year. The number of employed individuals fell by 21,000 to 33.18 million, with a decrease in part-time employees. Conversely, the number of full-time workers increased during the quarter. Additionally, the number of people in employment with second jobs continued to decline in the latest quarter, accounting for 3.5% of all employed individuals. Finally, the economic inactivity rate rose by 0.1 pps to 21.8%.
2024-03-12
UK Jobless Rate Below Expectations
The United Kingdom's unemployment rate declined to 3.8% in the fourth quarter of 2023, down from 4.0% in the three months leading up to September and slightly below the market consensus of 4.0%. It was the lowest rate since the period between November 2022 and January 2023, as the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 87,000 to a total of 1.32 million, driven by those unemployed for up to 12 months. Meanwhile, the number of employed individuals rose by 72,000 to 33.17 million, as full-time employees increased, largely recovering from a slump observed throughout 2023. Meanwhile, numbers of part-time employees and part-time self-employed workers fell. The employment rate was up 0.2 pp on quarter to 75.0% and the activity rate was unchanged at 78.1%.
2024-02-13