Employers, total (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Employers, total (% of total employment) was 1.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employers, total (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 1.6% for employers, total (% of total employment) in 2025.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 33.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employers, total (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 2.9% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2023.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 149th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employers, total (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.5% | — |
| 1992 | 2.5% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 2.6% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 2.6% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 2.6% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 2.6% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 2.9% | +7.2% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 2.9% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 2.9% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 2.8% | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -4.7% |
| 2011 | 2.5% | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 2.5% | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 2.1% | -13.7% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 2.0% | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 1.8% | -11.3% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -13.1% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | +3.3% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +0.5% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 1.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.4%, 47% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 1.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.6%, 45% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 146 Tanzania, United Republic of 1.7% compare
- 147 Afghanistan 1.6% compare
- 148 Mozambique 1.6% compare
- 150 Nepal 1.6% compare
- 151 Togo 1.6% compare
- 152 Japan 1.6% compare
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 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)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (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)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is employers, total (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Employers, total (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 1.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 2005.
- What is the lowest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2023.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for employers, total (% of total employment)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 149th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs" i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).