Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by was 14,230 Thousand persons in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
14,230 Thousand persons
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
5th
of 45 countries
All-time high
14,812 Thousand persons
in 1983
All-time low
12,836 Thousand persons
in 1990
Years of data
37
1983–2019

Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1983–2019

05.0k10.0k15.0k1983200120191983: 14.8k Thousand persons1984: 14.4k Thousand persons1985: 13.8k Thousand persons1986: 13.8k Thousand persons1987: 13.7k Thousand persons1988: 13.5k Thousand persons1989: 12.9k Thousand persons1990: 12.8k Thousand persons1991: 13.0k Thousand persons1992: 13.3k Thousand persons1993: 13.6k Thousand persons1994: 13.8k Thousand persons1995: 13.9k Thousand persons1996: 13.8k Thousand persons1997: 13.7k Thousand persons1998: 13.8k Thousand persons1999: 13.6k Thousand persons2000: 13.6k Thousand persons2001: 13.8k Thousand persons2002: 13.8k Thousand persons2003: 13.8k Thousand persons2004: 13.9k Thousand persons2005: 13.9k Thousand persons2006: 13.8k Thousand persons2007: 13.9k Thousand persons2008: 13.9k Thousand persons2009: 14.1k Thousand persons2010: 14.3k Thousand persons2011: 14.4k Thousand persons2012: 14.4k Thousand persons2013: 14.3k Thousand persons2014: 14.4k Thousand persons2015: 14.4k Thousand persons2016: 14.4k Thousand persons2017: 14.4k Thousand persons2018: 14.3k Thousand persons2019: 14.2k Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

The most recent figure for persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 14,230 Thousand persons, measured in 2019.

That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 14,812 Thousand persons in 1983 and was at its lowest, 12,836 Thousand persons, in 1990.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 5th out of 45 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.

Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1983 to 2019.
Year Thousand persons Change
1983 14,812 Thousand persons
1984 14,412 Thousand persons -2.7%
1985 13,823 Thousand persons -4.1%
1986 13,847 Thousand persons +0.2%
1987 13,667 Thousand persons -1.3%
1988 13,454 Thousand persons -1.6%
1989 12,904 Thousand persons -4.1%
1990 12,836 Thousand persons -0.5%
1991 12,958 Thousand persons +1.0%
1992 13,309 Thousand persons +2.7%
1993 13,599 Thousand persons +2.2%
1994 13,792 Thousand persons +1.4%
1995 13,864 Thousand persons +0.5%
1996 13,836 Thousand persons -0.2%
1997 13,709 Thousand persons -0.9%
1998 13,768 Thousand persons +0.4%
1999 13,636 Thousand persons -1.0%
2000 13,610 Thousand persons -0.2%
2001 13,792 Thousand persons +1.3%
2002 13,786 Thousand persons -0.0%
2003 13,831 Thousand persons +0.3%
2004 13,885 Thousand persons +0.4%
2005 13,853 Thousand persons -0.2%
2006 13,759 Thousand persons -0.7%
2007 13,940 Thousand persons +1.3%
2008 13,939 Thousand persons -0.0%
2009 14,100 Thousand persons +1.2%
2010 14,285 Thousand persons +1.3%
2011 14,415 Thousand persons +0.9%
2012 14,375 Thousand persons -0.3%
2013 14,340 Thousand persons -0.2%
2014 14,369 Thousand persons +0.2%
2015 14,428 Thousand persons +0.4%
2016 14,369 Thousand persons -0.4%
2017 14,419 Thousand persons +0.3%
2018 14,350 Thousand persons -0.5%
2019 14,230 Thousand persons -0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 13,846 Thousand persons 12,904 Thousand persons 14,812 Thousand persons 7
1990s 13,531 Thousand persons 12,836 Thousand persons 13,864 Thousand persons 10
2000s 13,849 Thousand persons 13,610 Thousand persons 14,100 Thousand persons 10
2010s 14,358 Thousand persons 14,230 Thousand persons 14,428 Thousand persons 10

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 2 Italy 18,364 Thousand persons compare
  2. 3 Germany 18,090 Thousand persons compare
  3. 4 France 16,710 Thousand persons compare
  4. 5 United Kingdom 14,230 Thousand persons compare
  5. 7 Spain 12,712 Thousand persons compare
  6. 8 Poland 9,811 Thousand persons compare
  7. 8 Poland 9,811 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 14,230 Thousand persons in 2019, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 14,812 Thousand persons in 1983.
What is the lowest persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 12,836 Thousand persons in 1990.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 5th out of 45 countries with data for 2019.
Is persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/persons-outside-the-labour-force-not-seeking-employment-by-willingness-to-work/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,442 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed