United Kingdom Unemployment Rate (ILO, % of Labor Force) (2025)
United Kingdom's Unemployment Rate (ILO, % of Labor Force): 4.7 % of labor force (ILO methodology) in 2025, +0.4pp YoY. World Bank (SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS), 1990–…
Data
| Year | % of labor force (ILO methodology) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.7 | +0.4pp |
| 2024 | 4.4 | +0.3pp |
| 2023 | 4 | +0.3pp |
| 2022 | 3.8 | -1.1pp |
| 2021 | 4.9 | +0.4pp |
| 2020 | 4.5 | +0.8pp |
| 2019 | 3.7 | -0.5pp |
| 2018 | 4.1 | -0.4pp |
| 2017 | 4.5 | -0.4pp |
| 2016 | 4.9 | -0.6pp |
| 2015 | 5.6 | -0.8pp |
| 2014 | 6.4 | -1.4pp |
| 2013 | 7.8 | -0.5pp |
| 2012 | 8.3 | +0.1pp |
| 2011 | 8.2 | +0.2pp |
| 2010 | 8 | +0.3pp |
| 2009 | 7.7 | +1.9pp |
| 2008 | 5.7 | +0.3pp |
| 2007 | 5.4 | -0.1pp |
| 2006 | 5.5 | n/a |
About this Dataset
The UK ILO Unemployment Rate measures the share of the UK labour force that is unemployed under the ILO harmonised definition, compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) from the Labour Force Survey and published by the World Bank in its standardised global development indicators. The 2025 reading of 4.7% — up 1 percentage point from the 3.7% pre-pandemic low of 2019 — reflects a structural shift in the UK labour market characterised by rising economic inactivity alongside modest labour demand softening.
The UK's post-pandemic labour market story diverges meaningfully from those of its G7 peers in one important dimension: the unprecedented rise in working-age inactivity. Unlike Germany, where Kurzarbeit cushioned unemployment, or the US, where a rapid services recovery re-absorbed displaced workers, the UK has seen a persistent increase in the share of working-age persons who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness — estimated by the ONS at over 2.5 million people by 2024. Long-COVID complications, NHS waiting list backlogs (which delay treatment and prolong incapacity), and mental health conditions are the primary attributable causes. This population does not register as unemployed (since they are not seeking work), but it represents withdrawn productive capacity that constrains UK growth and maintains upward pressure on wages in sectors facing genuine labour shortages — construction, healthcare, logistics, and hospitality.
For Bank of England watchers and gilt investors, the UK's 4.7% unemployment rate must be read alongside wage growth data (AWE, ONS) and services CPI inflation. The BoE's dual concern — inflation still above target at 3.3% (2024) while growth weakens — has made its easing cycle more cautious than the ECB's. The BoE estimates its equilibrium unemployment rate (NAIRU) at approximately 4–4.5%, placing the current 4.7% just above that range — providing modest disinflationary impulse from the labour market channel, but insufficient to guarantee a rapid return to 2% inflation without services price moderation. For PE sponsors with UK portfolio companies, the structural labour shortage in blue-collar sectors translates into above-trend wage settlements for several years ahead.
Coverage and methodology: The World Bank compiles this series from ONS Labour Force Survey data, applying ILO methodology to ensure cross-country comparability. The ONS has experienced significant LFS response rate issues since 2020 and undertook a major survey redesign in 2023–2024 that temporarily affected data reliability. The World Bank figure for 2025 incorporates ONS revised methodology. The ILO rate is distinct from the UK claimant count and from the national statistics "unemployment" rate sometimes cited in BoE communications — all three measures use ILO definitions but differ in coverage period and seasonal adjustment.