Spotlight
Unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted): %
UK: Aged 16 and over
5 %
2026 JAN-MAR
- Release date:
- 19 May 2026
- Next release:
- 18 June 2026
Labour market overview, UK: May 2026
What's in the bulletin?
- Estimates for payrolled employees in the UK fell by 104,000 (0.3%) between March 2025 and March 2026, and decreased by 28,000 (0.1%) between February and March 2026. This is based on administrative data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
- When looking at January to March 2026, the period comparable with our Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates, the number of payrolled employees fell by 94,000 (0.3%) over the year and by 20,000 (0.1%) over the quarter.
- The early estimate of payrolled employees for April 2026 decreased by 210,000 (0.7%) on the year, and by 100,000 (0.3%) on the month, to 30.2 million. Figures for April should be treated as provisional estimates and are likely to be revised when more data are received next month. Early months in the tax year typically carry a greater degree of uncertainty in their initial estimates, and such estimates in recent years have received larger-than-average upward revisions. Information on revisions to payrolled employees is published monthly. We have published analysis of recent revisions in our LFS quality update: January 2026 article.
Time series related to Unemployment
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Unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted): %
UK: Aged 16 and over
5 % 2026 JAN-MAR- Release date:
- 19 May 2026
- Next release:
- 18 June 2026
-
1,806 000's 2026 JAN-MAR
- Release date:
- 19 May 2026
- Next release:
- 18 June 2026
-
Female unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted): %
UK: Aged 16 and over
4.7 % 2026 JAN-MAR- Release date:
- 19 May 2026
- Next release:
- 18 June 2026
-
Male unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted): %
UK: Aged 16 and over
5.3 % 2026 JAN-MAR- Release date:
- 19 May 2026
- Next release:
- 18 June 2026
-
5.1 % 2026 JAN-MAR
- Release date:
- 19 May 2026
- Next release:
- 18 June 2026
Datasets related to Unemployment
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Characteristics of those not in employment as of Census Day 2021: detailed industry estimates
Census 2021 data of the industry of people’s last main job who were not employed on census day. This dataset is at the division level of the Standard Industrial Classification.
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Characteristics of those not in employment as of Census Day 2021: broad occupation estimates
Census 2021 data outlining the last main occupation of those who were not employed on census day. Data is at one digit level of the Standard Occupation Classification.
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Characteristics of those not in employment as of Census Day 2021: broad industry estimates
Census 2021 data outlining the primary industry for people who were not employed on census day. This dataset is at the section level of the Standard Industrial Classification.
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Characteristics of those not in employment as of Census Day 2021: employment history
Census 2021 data outlining the employment history of those not in employment on census day, including estimates by personal characteristics and reason for not being employed.
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Characteristics of those not in employment as of Census Day 2021: detailed occupation estimates
Census 2021 data outlining the occupation of the last main job of those who were not employed on census day. This data is at the four-digit level of the Standard Occupational Classification.
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A01: Summary of labour market statistics
Labour market statistics summary data table, including earnings, employment, unemployment, redundancies and vacancies, Great Britain and UK, published monthly.
Publications related to Unemployment
Statistical bulletins
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Labour market overview, UK: May 2026
Estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and other employment-related statistics for the UK.
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Children living in long-term workless households in the UK: 2024
Annual UK estimates of the number of children living in households where all adults have not worked for at least 12 months.
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Employment in the UK: May 2026
Estimates of employment, unemployment and economic inactivity for the UK.
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Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), UK: February 2026
Estimates of young people (aged 16 to 24 years) who are not in education, employment or training, by age and sex. These are official statistics in development.
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Working and workless households in the UK: October to December 2025
The economic status of households in the UK and the people living in them, where at least one person is aged 16 to 64 years. Taken from the Labour Force Survey.
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Workless households for regions across the UK: 2024
Annual information at a local level about households and the adults and children living in them, by their economic activity status.
Articles
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Characteristics of those not in employment as of Census Day 2021
Breakdown of people out of work, using data from Census 2021. This covers economic inactivity, unemployment, employment history, occupation, and industry.
Methodology related to Unemployment
Find, compare and visualise statistics about places within the United Kingdom.