United Kingdom labour force participation rate history

Change history

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United Kingdom labour force participation rate history: choose a year or date to look up past values. Preview the observations and download your selection.

79.1%July 2026Latest published observation

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History starts: March 1971
History ends: July 2026
Frequency: Monthly observations
Unit: Percent

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12 observations · January 1985 to December 1985

Selected historical observations
Date or period	Value · Percent	Source
January 1985	76.0%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
February 1985	76.0%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
March 1985	76.0%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
April 1985	76.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
May 1985	76.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
June 1985	76.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
July 1985	76.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
August 1985	76.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
September 1985	76.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
October 1985	76.2%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
November 1985	76.2%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
December 1985	76.2%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)

United Kingdom labour force participation rate history by year

Full history →

United Kingdom labour force participation rate history by year
Year	Average	High	Low	Change
2026 (to date)	79.1%	79.3%January 2026	79.0%February 2026	▼ −0.2
2025	78.9%	79.2%November 2025	78.5%January 2025	▲ +0.6
2024	78.1%	78.5%December 2024	77.9%February 2024	▲ +0.5
2023	78.3%	78.6%April 2023	78.0%November 2023	▼ −0.3
2022	78.1%	78.3%January 2022	77.8%July 2022	0.0
2021	78.4%	78.6%September 2021	78.3%April 2021	▼ −0.1
2020	78.9%	79.7%February 2020	78.5%December 2020	▼ −1.0
2019	79.2%	79.4%December 2019	79.0%March 2019	▲ +0.3
2018	78.8%	78.9%April 2018	78.6%July 2018	▲ +0.2
2017	78.5%	78.7%July 2017	78.3%January 2017	▲ +0.3
2016	78.2%	78.4%July 2016	78.1%January 2016	▲ +0.2
2015	77.9%	78.1%October 2015	77.8%January 2015	▲ +0.3
2014	77.8%	78.0%May 2014	77.6%November 2014	▼ −0.1
2013	77.6%	77.7%September 2013	77.3%May 2013	▲ +0.1
2012	77.2%	77.6%December 2012	76.8%January 2012	▲ +0.8
2011	76.6%	76.8%November 2011	76.5%April 2011	▲ +0.1
2010	76.6%	76.8%September 2010	76.4%January 2010	▲ +0.1
2009	76.9%	77.3%January 2009	76.6%November 2009	▼ −0.7
2008	77.1%	77.1%February 2008	76.9%October 2008	▲ +0.1
2007	76.8%	76.9%January 2007	76.8%February 2007	0.0

Show all

United Kingdom labour force participation rate history by year
Year	Average	High	Low	Change
2006	77.0%	77.3%August 2006	76.7%January 2006	▲ +0.3
2005	76.7%	76.9%February 2005	76.6%April 2005	▼ −0.1
2004	76.6%	76.8%February 2004	76.5%July 2004	0.0
2003	76.7%	76.8%July 2003	76.5%December 2003	▼ −0.1
2002	76.6%	76.8%October 2002	76.4%February 2002	▲ +0.3
2001	76.6%	76.7%January 2001	76.5%May 2001	▼ −0.1
2000	76.7%	76.8%March 2000	76.5%November 2000	▼ −0.2
1999	76.6%	76.8%December 1999	76.5%May 1999	▲ +0.1
1998	76.3%	76.5%November 1998	76.1%January 1998	▲ +0.4
1997	76.4%	76.6%June 1997	76.2%December 1997	▼ −0.2
1996	76.3%	76.4%January 1996	76.2%March 1996	0.0
1995	76.1%	76.3%August 1995	75.8%January 1995	▲ +0.5
1994	76.3%	76.4%January 1994	75.9%December 1994	▼ −0.5
1993	76.5%	76.6%January 1993	76.3%August 1993	▼ −0.2
1992	76.7%	77.0%January 1992	76.5%October 1992	▼ −0.5
1991	77.7%	78.1%January 1991	77.1%December 1991	▼ −1.0
1990	78.3%	78.3%January 1990	78.2%March 1990	▼ −0.1
1989	78.1%	78.3%December 1989	77.9%January 1989	▲ +0.4
1988	77.5%	77.8%November 1988	77.3%January 1988	▲ +0.5
1987	76.9%	77.2%December 1987	76.6%March 1987	▲ +0.5
1986	76.4%	76.6%November 1986	76.2%January 1986	▲ +0.4
1985	76.1%	76.2%October 1985	76.0%January 1985	▲ +0.2
1984	75.7%	76.0%December 1984	75.3%January 1984	▲ +0.7
1983	74.4%	75.1%December 1983	74.1%April 1983	▲ +0.8
1982	75.0%	75.5%January 1982	74.5%December 1982	▼ −1.0
1981	76.0%	76.2%January 1981	75.6%December 1981	▼ −0.6
1980	76.1%	76.1%June 1980	75.9%January 1980	▲ +0.2
1979	75.8%	75.9%September 1979	75.8%January 1979	▲ +0.1
1978	75.8%	75.8%January 1978	75.7%June 1978	0.0
1977	75.9%	76.0%January 1977	75.9%March 1977	▼ −0.1
1976	76.1%	76.2%January 1976	76.0%September 1976	▼ −0.2
1975	76.0%	76.2%October 1975	75.9%January 1975	▲ +0.3
1974	75.8%	76.0%October 1974	75.6%January 1974	▲ +0.3
1973	75.7%	75.9%May 1973	75.5%January 1973	▲ +0.1
1972	75.2%	75.4%December 1972	74.9%January 1972	▲ +0.5
1971	74.9%	75.1%March 1971	74.8%October 1971	▼ −0.3

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Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS); API reference →
Series: United Kingdom labour force participation rate history; View chart →