UK labour force participation rate

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79.1%unchanged from Jun 2026July 2026 · released 15 Sep 2026

+0.6 ptsover 5 years

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Most followed

United States Japan Canada Australia

By region

Asia-Pacific6

Australia Japan Malaysia Singapore New Zealand Philippines

Europe21

Middle East1

Saudi Arabia

North America3

Canada United States Mexico

South America2

Chile Colombia

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Key data points

Last release: 15 Sep 2026
Observation period: July 2026
Next release: 20 Oct 2026, 06:00 UTC
Previous: 79.1% Jun 2026
Highest: 79.7% Feb 2020
Lowest: 74.1% Apr 1983
A year ago: 79.0%
Data since: 1971

United Kingdom labour force participation rate by year

United Kingdom labour force participation rate 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 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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12 observations · January 2025 to December 2025

Selected historical observations
Date or period	Value · Percent	Source
January 2025	78.5%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
February 2025	78.7%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
March 2025	78.7%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
April 2025	78.8%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
May 2025	79.0%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
June 2025	79.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
July 2025	79.0%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
August 2025	79.0%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
September 2025	79.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
October 2025	79.0%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
November 2025	79.2%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
December 2025	79.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Indicator info

Category: Labour
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Frequency: Monthly
Units: Percent

The share of the working-age population that is working or looking for work.

Unemployment rateJul 20264.9%Inflation rateAug 20263.1%Consumer price indexAug 2026143.6 GDP growth rateQ2 20261.4%

Reports

Released 15 Sep 202679.1%July 2026

In 7 days

Next release, 06:00 UTC20 Oct 2026Jun–Aug 2026

History

Labour force participation rate recent observations
Period	Value	Change
July 2026	79.1%	0.0
June 2026	79.1%	0.0
May 2026	79.1%	+0.1
April 2026	79.0%	−0.1
March 2026	79.1%	+0.1
February 2026	79.0%	−0.3
January 2026	79.3%	+0.2
December 2025	79.1%	−0.1
November 2025	79.2%	+0.2
October 2025	79.0%	−0.1
September 2025	79.1%	+0.1
August 2025	79.0%	0.0
July 2025	79.0%

Common questions

What is the labour force participation rate in the United Kingdom now?

The labour force participation rate in the United Kingdom was 79.1% in July 2026, unchanged from Jun 2026. The figure was released on 15 Sep 2026.

When is the next labour force participation rate release for the United Kingdom?

The next release is scheduled for 20 Oct 2026, 06:00 UTC, covering Jun–Aug 2026.

What are the highest and lowest values of the labour force participation rate in the United Kingdom?

In data since 1971, the highest was 79.7% in Feb 2020 and the lowest was 74.1% in Apr 1983.

Where does this data come from?

Published by Office for National Statistics (ONS), and shown here exactly as published. Publishers revise figures, and the latest published figure replaces the earlier one.

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS); Economics methodology →
API: GET /v1/economics/GBR/labour-force-participation; Economics API →

United Kingdom labour force participation rate