UK unemployment rate | Narwhal API

Name: United Kingdom unemployment rate
Creator: Narwhal

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4.9%unchanged from Jun 2026July 2026 · released 15 Sep 2026

+0.3 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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GET /v1/economics/GBR/unemployment
// webhook: { "type": "release.updated" }

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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: 4.9% Jun 2026
Highest: 11.9% Apr 1984
Lowest: 3.4% Dec 1973
A year ago: 4.7%
Data since: 1971

United Kingdom unemployment rate by year

United Kingdom unemployment rate 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 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

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12 observations · January 2025 to December 2025

Selected historical observations
Date or period	Value · Percent	Source
January 2025	4.4%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
February 2025	4.5%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
March 2025	4.6%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
April 2025	4.6%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
May 2025	4.7%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
June 2025	4.7%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
July 2025	4.7%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
August 2025	4.8%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
September 2025	5.0%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
October 2025	5.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
November 2025	5.1%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)
December 2025	5.2%	Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Indicator info

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

The share of the labour force that is out of work and actively looking for a job.

Labour force participation rateJul 202679.1%Inflation rateAug 20263.1%Consumer price indexAug 2026143.6 GDP growth rateQ2 20261.4%

Reports

Released 15 Sep 20264.9%July 2026

In 7 days

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

History

Unemployment rate recent observations
Period	Value	Change
July 2026	4.9%	0.0
June 2026	4.9%	0.0
May 2026	4.9%	0.0
April 2026	4.9%	−0.1
March 2026	5.0%	+0.1
February 2026	4.9%	−0.3
January 2026	5.2%	0.0
December 2025	5.2%	+0.1
November 2025	5.1%	0.0
October 2025	5.1%	+0.1
September 2025	5.0%	+0.2
August 2025	4.8%	+0.1
July 2025	4.7%

Common questions

What is the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom now?

The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom was 4.9% in July 2026, unchanged from Jun 2026. The figure was released on 15 Sep 2026.

When is the next unemployment 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 unemployment rate in the United Kingdom?

In data since 1971, the highest was 11.9% in Apr 1984 and the lowest was 3.4% in Dec 1973.

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/unemployment; Economics API →
Schedule: Official release dates; UK jobs report dates 2026 →

United Kingdom unemployment rate