Unemployed persons: % of total unemployment … methods quarterly in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Unemployed persons: % of total unemployment … methods quarterly was 11.1 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in United Kingdom, 1998–2020
Source: Eurostat.
Analysis
In 2020, unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in United Kingdom stood at 11.1. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of down 61.3% on the previous year and down 82.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in United Kingdom peaked at 69.9 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 11.1, in 2020.
That places United Kingdom 45th out of 46 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Unemployed persons: % of total unemployment … methods quarterly in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 69.9 | — |
| 1999 | 68.4 | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 65.4 | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 64.6 | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 64.7 | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 63.6 | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 62.6 | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 62.2 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 63.7 | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 61.6 | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 63.7 | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 66 | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 63 | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 61 | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 55.9 | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 52.6 | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 45.7 | -13.1% |
| 2015 | 39.4 | -13.8% |
| 2016 | 35.5 | -9.9% |
| 2017 | 34.6 | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 32.3 | -6.6% |
| 2019 | 28.7 | -11.1% |
| 2020 | 11.1 | -61.3% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 11.1 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 57.1, 19% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 11.1 is below the median for high income countries, which is 57, 19% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployed persons: % of total unemployment … methods quarterly in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -61.3% | 28.7 | 11.1 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 69.15 | 68.4 | 69.9 | 2 |
| 2000s | 63.81 | 61.6 | 66 | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.87 | 28.7 | 63 | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 1 |
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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in United Kingdom?
- Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in United Kingdom was 11.1 in 2020, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 69.9 in 1998.
- What is the lowest unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1 in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total?
- United Kingdom ranks 45th out of 46 countries with data for 2020.
- Is unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.4%. 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 methods used for seeking work - % of total unemployment - quarterly data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).