"Figure 11: The annual increase for people who are economically inactive was largely driven by people who are inactive because of ""other"" reasons and by those who are long-term sick ","" "Economically inactive people by reason in the UK (aged 16 to 64 years), seasonally adjusted, October to December 2015 to October to December 2020","" "","" "Notes","1. Discouraged workers are those who are not looking for work because they believe no jobs are available 2. Other reasons for being economically inactive include those who are waiting for the results of a job application; have not yet started looking for work; do not need or want employment; have given an uncategorised reason for being economically inactive; or have not given a reason for being economically inactive " "Unit","Thousands" "","" "Period","Student ","Looking after family or home","Long-term sick","Temporarily sick, discouraged workers¹ and retired","Other²" "Oct-Dec 2015","2290.720","2242.266","2074.426","1395.042","926.794" "Nov-Jan 2016","2243.551","2264.376","2105.199","1400.341","933.046" "Dec-Feb 2016","2257.442","2241.282","2081.062","1396.922","939.301" "Jan-Mar 2016","2262.611","2253.908","2099.850","1377.462","942.858" "Feb-Apr 2016","2307.526","2261.056","2089.088","1360.414","921.628" "Mar-May 2016","2325.691","2223.364","2054.657","1368.220","921.608" "Apr-Jun 2016","2302.458","2211.266","2042.239","1362.005","955.633" "May-Jul 2016","2285.346","2213.283","2035.168","1347.419","968.386" "Jun-Aug 2016","2260.824","2221.712","2008.541","1351.718","981.348" "Jul-Sep 2016","2304.559","2241.610","2007.240","1353.325","987.916" "Aug-Oct 2016","2316.177","2227.640","1990.322","1369.045","1003.499" "Sep-Nov 2016","2310.443","2215.528","1998.928","1378.349","1011.421" "Oct-Dec 2016","2316.775","2202.139","1958.544","1387.752","1019.766" "Nov-Jan 2017","2317.728","2205.022","1991.101","1389.054","1006.976" "Dec-Feb 2017","2337.485","2209.667","1985.136","1370.855","993.524" "Jan-Mar 2017","2313.551","2205.359","1991.226","1390.672","961.185" "Feb-Apr 2017","2312.995","2193.236","1978.983","1411.272","975.127" "Mar-May 2017","2304.120","2160.415","1994.288","1430.330","957.927" "Apr-Jun 2017","2312.034","2130.574","1981.539","1403.010","951.238" "May-Jul 2017","2329.874","2091.343","2007.106","1393.790","926.665" "Jun-Aug 2017","2333.486","2072.514","2023.190","1406.115","971.126" "Jul-Sep 2017","2382.878","2068.804","2054.724","1413.527","963.506" "Aug-Oct 2017","2358.820","2076.037","2032.478","1414.419","982.572" "Sep-Nov 2017","2342.938","2100.374","1982.243","1385.982","931.178" "Oct-Dec 2017","2357.904","2090.913","1996.719","1400.029","939.589" "Nov-Jan 2018","2354.304","2083.895","1987.019","1396.333","920.812" "Dec-Feb 2018","2348.389","2069.656","1983.758","1395.520","951.809" "Jan-Mar 2018","2312.593","2048.377","1977.067","1369.072","971.701" "Feb-Apr 2018","2322.872","2026.506","1985.563","1342.992","989.857" "Mar-May 2018","2325.923","2018.674","2004.474","1323.255","990.009" "Apr-Jun 2018","2335.128","2036.165","2042.612","1336.383","988.531" "May-Jul 2018","2324.539","2043.894","2049.248","1336.195","1003.683" "Jun-Aug 2018","2364.223","2040.502","2031.743","1319.717","983.373" "Jul-Sep 2018","2372.955","2037.029","1999.741","1325.906","990.455" "Aug-Oct 2018","2315.538","2030.973","1982.501","1343.007","993.570" "Sep-Nov 2018","2265.458","2048.202","1991.702","1336.868","1008.010" "Oct-Dec 2018","2269.941","2028.601","2006.901","1334.359","992.481" "Nov-Jan 2019","2257.101","2005.002","2005.920","1295.930","984.717" "Dec-Feb 2019","2227.309","2007.687","1978.505","1333.025","989.610" "Jan-Mar 2019","2247.333","2030.117","2002.062","1335.019","994.838" "Feb-Apr 2019","2259.685","2047.109","1970.793","1318.583","984.578" "Mar-May 2019","2289.438","2013.977","2016.381","1315.543","984.080" "Apr-Jun 2019","2233.231","2012.998","2031.394","1301.365","983.462" "May-Jul 2019","2240.963","1998.557","2047.929","1303.964","995.472" "Jun-Aug 2019","2316.408","1979.721","2068.936","1328.682","982.358" "Jul-Sep 2019","2295.169","1970.017","2053.749","1322.482","974.443" "Aug-Oct 2019","2280.234","1966.246","2071.604","1322.945","964.652" "Sep-Nov 2019","2263.039","1933.555","2064.964","1305.293","938.666" "Oct-Dec 2019","2254.566","1885.382","2074.731","1315.883","946.998" "Nov-Jan 2020","2185.597","1868.105","2119.573","1320.031","937.378" "Dec-Feb 2020","2130.196","1839.609","2112.187","1334.030","953.726" "Jan-Mar 2020","2155.610","1804.256","2147.909","1364.436","984.787" "Feb-Apr 2020","2145.103","1805.419","2157.475","1357.645","1117.027" "Mar-May 2020","2104.383","1777.840","2149.341","1359.756","1236.647" "Apr-Jun 2020","2131.315","1768.164","2122.926","1331.716","1287.337" "May-Jul 2020","2210.100","1706.428","2142.763","1352.766","1191.839" "Jun-Aug 2020","2318.447","1670.027","2155.842","1348.330","1132.780" "Jul-Sep 2020","2361.844","1624.805","2179.528","1367.562","1128.476" "Aug-Oct 2020","2314.057","1600.974","2171.359","1370.780","1144.680" "Sep-Nov 2020","2311.121","1639.234","2164.403","1351.165","1126.366" "Oct-Dec 2020","2358.918","1612.557","2202.365","1354.449","1135.790"