United Kingdom unemployment rate history

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

4.9%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 1972 to December 1972

Selected historical observations
Date or period	Value · Percent	Source
January 1972	4.5%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
February 1972	4.5%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
March 1972	4.5%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
April 1972	4.5%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
May 1972	4.5%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
June 1972	4.4%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
July 1972	4.4%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
August 1972	4.3%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
September 1972	4.3%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
October 1972	4.2%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
November 1972	4.2%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
December 1972	4.2%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)

United Kingdom unemployment rate history by year

Full history →

United Kingdom unemployment rate history by year
Year	Average	High	Low	Change
2026 (to date)	5.0%	5.2%January 2026	4.9%February 2026	▼ −0.3
2025	4.8%	5.2%December 2025	4.4%January 2025	▲ +0.8
2024	4.3%	4.4%April 2024	4.1%January 2024	▲ +0.3
2023	4.1%	4.4%July 2023	3.9%January 2023	0.0
2022	3.8%	4.1%January 2022	3.6%July 2022	▼ −0.2
2021	4.6%	5.2%January 2021	4.2%November 2021	▼ −1.0
2020	4.5%	5.3%December 2020	3.9%January 2020	▲ +1.4
2019	3.8%	4.0%February 2019	3.7%December 2019	▼ −0.2
2018	4.1%	4.3%January 2018	4.0%June 2018	▼ −0.3
2017	4.4%	4.7%January 2017	4.2%October 2017	▼ −0.3
2016	4.9%	5.1%January 2016	4.7%December 2016	▼ −0.4
2015	5.4%	5.6%January 2015	5.1%November 2015	▼ −0.5
2014	6.3%	7.1%January 2014	5.7%December 2014	▼ −1.4
2013	7.6%	8.0%February 2013	7.2%November 2013	▼ −0.6
2012	8.0%	8.3%January 2012	7.8%September 2012	▼ −0.5
2011	8.1%	8.5%November 2011	7.7%April 2011	▲ +0.5
2010	7.9%	8.0%March 2010	7.7%January 2010	▲ +0.2
2009	7.5%	7.9%July 2009	6.5%January 2009	▲ +1.3
2008	5.6%	6.4%December 2008	5.2%January 2008	▲ +1.2
2007	5.4%	5.5%January 2007	5.2%October 2007	▼ −0.3

Show all

United Kingdom unemployment rate history by year
Year	Average	High	Low	Change
2006	5.4%	5.5%June 2006	5.1%January 2006	▲ +0.4
2005	4.8%	5.1%November 2005	4.7%January 2005	▲ +0.4
2004	4.8%	4.8%January 2004	4.7%August 2004	▼ −0.1
2003	5.0%	5.2%March 2003	4.9%June 2003	▼ −0.1
2002	5.2%	5.3%September 2002	5.1%February 2002	▼ −0.1
2001	5.1%	5.2%January 2001	4.9%May 2001	0.0
2000	5.5%	5.9%January 2000	5.2%December 2000	▼ −0.7
1999	6.0%	6.2%January 1999	5.8%October 1999	▼ −0.4
1998	6.3%	6.4%January 1998	6.1%December 1998	▼ −0.3
1997	7.1%	7.7%January 1997	6.5%December 1997	▼ −1.2
1996	8.2%	8.4%January 1996	7.8%December 1996	▼ −0.6
1995	8.7%	8.9%January 1995	8.3%December 1995	▼ −0.6
1994	9.6%	10.3%January 1994	9.0%December 1994	▼ −1.3
1993	10.4%	10.7%February 1993	10.2%September 1993	▼ −0.2
1992	9.9%	10.4%December 1992	9.5%January 1992	▲ +0.9
1991	8.7%	9.5%December 1991	7.6%January 1991	▲ +1.9
1990	7.0%	7.5%December 1990	6.9%February 1990	▲ +0.5
1989	7.3%	7.9%January 1989	7.0%November 1989	▼ −0.9
1988	8.7%	9.5%January 1988	8.0%December 1988	▼ −1.5
1987	10.6%	11.2%January 1987	9.7%December 1987	▼ −1.5
1986	11.3%	11.4%July 1986	11.3%January 1986	0.0
1985	11.4%	11.6%January 1985	11.3%July 1985	▼ −0.3
1984	11.8%	11.9%April 1984	11.6%December 1984	▼ −0.1
1983	11.4%	11.7%December 1983	11.2%January 1983	▲ +0.5
1982	10.7%	11.1%December 1982	10.3%January 1982	▲ +0.8
1981	9.5%	10.2%December 1981	8.3%January 1981	▲ +1.9
1980	6.6%	8.0%December 1980	5.6%January 1980	▲ +2.4
1979	5.3%	5.5%December 1979	5.3%January 1979	▲ +0.2
1978	5.5%	5.7%January 1978	5.4%November 1978	▼ −0.3
1977	5.6%	5.7%September 1977	5.5%January 1977	▲ +0.2
1976	5.4%	5.5%September 1976	5.1%January 1976	▲ +0.4
1975	4.4%	5.0%December 1975	3.8%January 1975	▲ +1.2
1974	3.6%	3.7%August 1974	3.4%January 1974	▲ +0.3
1973	3.7%	4.1%January 1973	3.4%December 1973	▼ −0.7
1972	4.4%	4.5%January 1972	4.2%October 1972	▼ −0.3
1971	4.1%	4.4%November 1971	3.8%March 1971	▲ +0.6

How to read this

Rows keep their published observation periods. A date selects the observation whose period includes it. Monthly and quarterly figures are not daily prices. Missing periods stay missing. The CSV keeps the period and its end date.

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GET /v1/economics/GBR/unemployment/observations

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This series follows its publication frequency. Gaps are left empty, and no daily values are invented between observations.

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