Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) was 1,756 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United Kingdom, 1995–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 1,756 for unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in 2025.
The figure is up 15.4% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom peaked at 2,566 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1,244, in 2019.
That places United Kingdom 8th out of 78 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2,475 | — |
| 1996 | 2,344 | -5.3% |
| 1997 | 2,035 | -13.2% |
| 1998 | 1,787 | -12.2% |
| 1999 | 1,728 | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 1,604 | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 1,357 | -15.4% |
| 2002 | 1,471 | +8.4% |
| 2003 | 1,416 | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 1,363 | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 1,361 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 1,622 | +19.2% |
| 2007 | 1,596 | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 1,761 | +10.3% |
| 2009 | 2,378 | +35.0% |
| 2010 | 2,471 | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 2,566 | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 2,543 | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 2,447 | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 2,000 | -18.3% |
| 2015 | 1,758 | -12.1% |
| 2016 | 1,605 | -8.7% |
| 2017 | 1,451 | -9.6% |
| 2018 | 1,401 | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 1,244 | -11.2% |
| 2020 | 1,543 | +24.1% |
| 2021 | 1,645 | +6.6% |
| 2022 | 1,281 | -22.1% |
| 2023 | 1,385 | +8.1% |
| 2024 | 1,522 | +10.0% |
| 2025 | 1,756 | +15.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 1,756 is above the median for high income countries, which is 183.16, 9.6× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 1,756 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 208.9, 8.4× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,074 | 1,728 | 2,475 | 5 |
| 2000s | 1,593 | 1,357 | 2,378 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,949 | 1,244 | 2,566 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,522 | 1,281 | 1,756 | 6 |
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 unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom?
- Unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom was 1,756 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 2,566 in 2011.
- What is the lowest unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,244 in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom rank for unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- United Kingdom ranks 8th out of 78 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the International Labour Migration Statistics (ILMS) database description.