Unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Unemployment rates by educational attainment level was 3.8% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
3.8%
Change on year
down 5.0%
World rank
38th
of 45 countries
All-time high
11.5%
in 1985
All-time low
3.8%
in 2019
Years of data
37
1983–2019

Unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom, 1983–2019

46810121983200120191983: 11.1 Percentage1984: 10.9 Percentage1985: 11.5 Percentage1986: 11.5 Percentage1987: 11 Percentage1988: 9 Percentage1989: 7.4 Percentage1990: 7 Percentage1991: 8.6 Percentage1992: 9.8 Percentage1993: 10.4 Percentage1994: 9.7 Percentage1995: 8.7 Percentage1996: 8.2 Percentage1997: 7.1 Percentage1998: 6.2 Percentage1999: 6.1 Percentage2000: 5.6 Percentage2001: 4.7 Percentage2002: 5 Percentage2003: 4.8 Percentage2004: 4.6 Percentage2005: 4.8 Percentage2006: 5.4 Percentage2007: 5.3 Percentage2008: 5.6 Percentage2009: 7.6 Percentage2010: 7.8 Percentage2011: 8.1 Percentage2012: 7.9 Percentage2013: 7.5 Percentage2014: 6.1 Percentage2015: 5.3 Percentage2016: 4.8 Percentage2017: 4.3 Percentage2018: 4 Percentage2019: 3.8 Percentage

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.

Analysis

The most recent figure for unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom is 3.8%, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.

The figure is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 50.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom peaked at 11.5% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2019.

That places United Kingdom 38th out of 45 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom, 1983 to 2019.
Year Percentage Change
1983 11.1%
1984 10.9% -1.8%
1985 11.5% +5.5%
1986 11.5% +0.0%
1987 11.0% -4.3%
1988 9.0% -18.2%
1989 7.4% -17.8%
1990 7.0% -5.4%
1991 8.6% +22.9%
1992 9.8% +14.0%
1993 10.4% +6.1%
1994 9.7% -6.7%
1995 8.7% -10.3%
1996 8.2% -5.7%
1997 7.1% -13.4%
1998 6.2% -12.7%
1999 6.1% -1.6%
2000 5.6% -8.2%
2001 4.7% -16.1%
2002 5.0% +6.4%
2003 4.8% -4.0%
2004 4.6% -4.2%
2005 4.8% +4.3%
2006 5.4% +12.5%
2007 5.3% -1.9%
2008 5.6% +5.7%
2009 7.6% +35.7%
2010 7.8% +2.6%
2011 8.1% +3.8%
2012 7.9% -2.5%
2013 7.5% -5.1%
2014 6.1% -18.7%
2015 5.3% -13.1%
2016 4.8% -9.4%
2017 4.3% -10.4%
2018 4.0% -7.0%
2019 3.8% -5.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 10.3% 7.4% 11.5% 7
1990s 8.2% 6.1% 10.4% 10
2000s 5.3% 4.6% 7.6% 10
2010s 6.0% 3.8% 8.1% 10

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 38 Germany 3.8% compare
  2. 38 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 3.8% compare
  3. 41 Bulgaria 3.5% compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More work & labour data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom?
Unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom was 3.8% in 2019, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest unemployment rates by educational attainment level recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 11.5% in 1985.
What is the lowest unemployment rates by educational attainment level recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2019.
How does United Kingdom rank for unemployment rates by educational attainment level?
United Kingdom ranks 38th out of 45 countries with data for 2019.
Is unemployment rates by educational attainment level rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. 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 Unemployment rates by educational attainment level. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment rates by educational attainment level in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rates-by-educational-attainment-level/united-kingdom-2/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates by educational attainment level
Unit
Percentage
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,442 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed