Informal employment rate in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Informal employment rate was 19.81 in 2018. ▬ Flat
Informal employment rate in United Kingdom, 2007–2018
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2018, informal employment rate in United Kingdom stood at 19.81.
That represents a change of down 13.6% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment rate in United Kingdom peaked at 22.92 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 13.84, in 2010.
United Kingdom ranks 49th of 81 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Informal employment rate in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 20.11 | — |
| 2008 | 20.72 | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 20.55 | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 13.84 | -32.6% |
| 2011 | 15.46 | +11.7% |
| 2012 | 15.72 | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 15.51 | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 15.09 | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 15.61 | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 16.28 | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 22.92 | +40.7% |
| 2018 | 19.81 | -13.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.46 | 20.11 | 20.72 | 3 |
| 2010s | 16.69 | 13.84 | 22.92 | 9 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
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 informal employment rate in United Kingdom?
- Informal employment rate in United Kingdom was 19.81 in 2018, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment rate recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 22.92 in 2017.
- What is the lowest informal employment rate recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.84 in 2010.
- How does United Kingdom rank for informal employment rate?
- United Kingdom ranks 49th out of 81 countries with data for 2018.
- Is informal employment rate rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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. This harmonized series for informal employment is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.