Unemployment with basic education in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Unemployment with basic education was 8.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment with basic education in United Kingdom, 1992–2025
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total labor force with basic education.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment with basic education in United Kingdom is 8.2%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.5% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment with basic education in United Kingdom peaked at 12.7% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2019.
That places United Kingdom 50th out of 130 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Unemployment with basic education in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force with basic education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 12.0% | — |
| 1993 | 12.7% | +5.8% |
| 1994 | 12.4% | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 11.0% | -11.2% |
| 1996 | 10.6% | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 9.2% | -13.1% |
| 1999 | 9.3% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 8.7% | -6.3% |
| 2001 | 7.7% | -12.3% |
| 2002 | 8.1% | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | -7.9% |
| 2004 | 7.5% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 6.6% | -11.9% |
| 2006 | 6.9% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 8.2% | +16.8% |
| 2009 | 10.7% | +30.3% |
| 2010 | 11.8% | +10.6% |
| 2011 | 12.1% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 12.1% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 11.8% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 9.8% | -17.4% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | -14.1% |
| 2016 | 7.4% | -11.8% |
| 2017 | 6.7% | -9.5% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | -8.1% |
| 2019 | 5.3% | -14.4% |
| 2020 | 6.4% | +22.2% |
| 2021 | 7.5% | +16.2% |
| 2022 | 6.5% | -13.3% |
| 2023 | 6.7% | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 7.2% | +7.6% |
| 2025 | 8.2% | +14.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.0% | 9.2% | 12.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 7.9% | 6.6% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.2% | 5.3% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.1% | 6.4% | 8.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (2023)
- Criminal penalties or civil remedies sexual harassment in employment 1 (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 61.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 65.6% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment with basic education in United Kingdom?
- Unemployment with basic education in United Kingdom was 8.2% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment with basic education recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7% in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment with basic education recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom rank for unemployment with basic education?
- United Kingdom ranks 50th out of 130 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment with basic education rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).