Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 20.36 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United Kingdom, 1999–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 20.36 for discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 56.9% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom peaked at 88.63 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 12.97, in 2024.
That places United Kingdom 49th out of 89 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 88.63 | — |
| 2000 | 88.56 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 47.42 | -46.5% |
| 2002 | 46.89 | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 45.97 | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 39.11 | -14.9% |
| 2005 | 28.76 | -26.5% |
| 2006 | 28.78 | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 33.35 | +15.9% |
| 2008 | 36.92 | +10.7% |
| 2009 | 62.33 | +68.8% |
| 2010 | 60.31 | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 63.78 | +5.8% |
| 2012 | 65.07 | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 51.73 | -20.5% |
| 2014 | 38.89 | -24.8% |
| 2015 | 26.38 | -32.2% |
| 2016 | 21.58 | -18.2% |
| 2017 | 23.28 | +7.9% |
| 2018 | 19.62 | -15.7% |
| 2019 | 18.58 | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 39.61 | +113.2% |
| 2021 | 56.66 | +43.1% |
| 2022 | 14.96 | -73.6% |
| 2023 | 14.22 | -5.0% |
| 2024 | 12.97 | -8.7% |
| 2025 | 20.36 | +56.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 88.63 | 88.63 | 88.63 | 1 |
| 2000s | 45.81 | 28.76 | 88.56 | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.92 | 18.58 | 65.07 | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.46 | 12.97 | 56.66 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 46 Portugal 28.01 compare
- 47 Austria 27.57 compare
- 48 Bulgaria 20.79 compare
- 50 North Macedonia 18.67 compare
- 51 El Salvador 18.29 compare
- 52 Switzerland 17.85 compare
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 61.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom?
- Discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom was 20.36 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 88.63 in 1999.
- What is the lowest discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.97 in 2024.
- How does United Kingdom rank for discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- United Kingdom ranks 49th out of 89 countries with data for 2025.
- Is discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. Discouraged job-seekers refer to those persons of working age who during a specified reference period were without work and available for work, but did not look for work in the recent past for specific reasons (for example, believing that there were no jobs available, believing there were none for which they would qualify, or having given up hope of finding employment). Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.