Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment was 1,269 Thousand persons in 2019. ▼ Falling
Latest (2019)
1,269 Thousand persons
Change on year
down 5.7%
World rank
6th
of 45 countries
All-time high
3,172 Thousand persons
in 1986
All-time low
1,269 Thousand persons
in 2019
Years of data
37
1983–2019
Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment in United Kingdom, 1983–2019
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.
Analysis
In 2019, unemployed persons by duration of unemployment in United Kingdom stood at 1,269 Thousand persons. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.7% on the previous year and down 46.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployed persons by duration of unemployment in United Kingdom peaked at 3,172 Thousand persons in 1986 and was at its lowest, 1,269 Thousand persons, in 2019.
That places United Kingdom 6th out of 45 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Thousand persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 2,902 Thousand persons | — |
| 1984 | 2,907 Thousand persons | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 3,149 Thousand persons | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 3,172 Thousand persons | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 3,072 Thousand persons | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 2,539 Thousand persons | -17.4% |
| 1989 | 2,124 Thousand persons | -16.4% |
| 1990 | 2,006 Thousand persons | -5.5% |
| 1991 | 2,450 Thousand persons | +22.1% |
| 1992 | 2,790 Thousand persons | +13.9% |
| 1993 | 2,940 Thousand persons | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 2,742 Thousand persons | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 2,474 Thousand persons | -9.7% |
| 1996 | 2,344 Thousand persons | -5.3% |
| 1997 | 2,035 Thousand persons | -13.2% |
| 1998 | 1,787 Thousand persons | -12.2% |
| 1999 | 1,728 Thousand persons | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 1,604 Thousand persons | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 1,357 Thousand persons | -15.4% |
| 2002 | 1,471 Thousand persons | +8.4% |
| 2003 | 1,416 Thousand persons | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 1,363 Thousand persons | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 1,433 Thousand persons | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 1,641 Thousand persons | +14.5% |
| 2007 | 1,625 Thousand persons | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 1,756 Thousand persons | +8.1% |
| 2009 | 2,369 Thousand persons | +34.9% |
| 2010 | 2,459 Thousand persons | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 2,559 Thousand persons | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 2,533 Thousand persons | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 2,437 Thousand persons | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 1,996 Thousand persons | -18.1% |
| 2015 | 1,746 Thousand persons | -12.5% |
| 2016 | 1,599 Thousand persons | -8.4% |
| 2017 | 1,447 Thousand persons | -9.5% |
| 2018 | 1,347 Thousand persons | -6.9% |
| 2019 | 1,269 Thousand persons | -5.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,838 Thousand persons | 2,124 Thousand persons | 3,172 Thousand persons | 7 |
| 1990s | 2,330 Thousand persons | 1,728 Thousand persons | 2,940 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,604 Thousand persons | 1,357 Thousand persons | 2,369 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,939 Thousand persons | 1,269 Thousand persons | 2,559 Thousand persons | 10 |
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 unemployed persons by duration of unemployment in United Kingdom?
- Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment in United Kingdom was 1,269 Thousand persons in 2019, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest unemployed persons by duration of unemployment recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 3,172 Thousand persons in 1986.
- What is the lowest unemployed persons by duration of unemployment recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,269 Thousand persons in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom rank for unemployed persons by duration of unemployment?
- United Kingdom ranks 6th out of 45 countries with data for 2019.
- Is unemployed persons by duration of unemployment rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).