Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 4.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 4.9%.
The figure is up 12.3% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 11.5% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1973.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 105th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.3% | — |
| 1972 | 3.7% | +12.1% |
| 1973 | 2.6% | -29.7% |
| 1974 | 2.6% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 4.0% | +53.8% |
| 1976 | 5.5% | +37.5% |
| 1977 | 5.8% | +5.5% |
| 1978 | 5.0% | -13.9% |
| 1979 | 3.7% | -25.8% |
| 1980 | 3.9% | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 10.4% | +167.9% |
| 1982 | 10.9% | +4.8% |
| 1983 | 11.1% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 10.9% | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 11.5% | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 11.5% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 11.0% | -4.3% |
| 1988 | 9.0% | -18.3% |
| 1989 | 7.4% | -17.8% |
| 1990 | 7.0% | -5.9% |
| 1991 | 8.6% | +22.7% |
| 1992 | 9.8% | +14.3% |
| 1993 | 10.3% | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 9.6% | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 8.7% | -9.9% |
| 1996 | 8.2% | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 7.1% | -13.6% |
| 1998 | 6.2% | -12.4% |
| 1999 | 6.0% | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 5.6% | -8.0% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | -15.5% |
| 2002 | 5.0% | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 4.8% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 4.6% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 5.5% | +12.0% |
| 2007 | 5.4% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 5.7% | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 7.7% | +33.7% |
| 2010 | 8.0% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 8.2% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 8.3% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 7.8% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 6.4% | -17.5% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | -13.2% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | -11.6% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | -8.3% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | -11.8% |
| 2020 | 4.5% | +23.5% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | +7.7% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -22.5% |
| 2023 | 4.0% | +6.8% |
| 2024 | 4.4% | +8.3% |
| 2025 | 4.9% | +12.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.0% | 2.6% | 5.8% | 9 |
| 1980s | 9.8% | 3.9% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.1% | 6.0% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.4% | 4.6% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 3.7% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 3.8% | 4.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 102 San Marino 4.9% compare
- 103 Croatia 4.9% compare
- 103 Kazakhstan 4.9% compare
- 106 Brunei Darussalam 4.9% compare
- 107 Honduras 4.9% compare
- 108 Switzerland 4.8% compare
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 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)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 4.9% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 11.5% in 1986.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1973.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 105th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.