Historical trend
By nation
England 4.0 %
Scotland 4.3 %
Wales 4.8 %
Northern Ireland 3.2 %
Source: ONS / OECD
Trend summary
Unemployment rate was 4.9% in 2026-04, unchanged from 2026-03.
Trend
- Over the available record (1971-02–2026-04), it has ranged from 3.4% in 1973-11 to 12% in 1984-03.
- The latest reading is below the record average of 6.6%.
Context
- The ONS Labour Force Survey measures unemployment on the ILO definition: those without a job, available to start within two weeks, and actively seeking work.
- LFS estimates carry a margin of error of around ±0.3 percentage points at the national level.
Generated from the published series — describes direction, magnitude and range only, with no editorial judgement or forecasts.
G7 comparison
UK ranks #4 of 7 in the G7 (lower is better)
🇯🇵 Japan
2.5 %
🇩🇪 Germany
3.4 %
🇺🇸 United States
4.1 %
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
4.9 %
🇮🇹 Italy
5.7 %
🇨🇦 Canada
6.7 %
🇫🇷 France
7.3 %