UK Employment

Data Employment

Source: ONS
Source Link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/
Frequency: Monthly
Next Release(s): September 16th, 2025 2:00 AM

Latest Updates

The UK added 239k jobs in the three months to June, up from the 134k added in the three months to May and ahead of expectations.
- The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.7% in June, as expected, but has increased 0.5 ppts over the last year.
- The total number of unemployed increased 59k in the three months to June and 206k over the last year.
- The economic inactivity rate is down -0.4 ppts to 21.0% in the three months to June and is down -1.1 ppts over the last year.
The total number of job vacancies was down -44k to 718k in the three months to June, a smaller decline than the -56k drop in the three months to May and the lowest number of vacancies since April 2021.
- Total vacancies decreased by -145k (-16.8% YoY) when comparing May to July 2025 with the same period last year.
- There were declines in 16 of the 18 industry sectors. The industry with the largest percentage decrease in vacancies was the manufacturing industry, which was down by -26.6% YoY.
- The number of unemployed people per vacancy was 2.3 in April to June 2025; this is up from 2.1 in the previous quarter (January to March 2025).
Total pay growth in June was 4.6% YoY (vs 4.7% YoY expected), down from 5.0% YoY in May and the lowest since September 2024.
- Regular pay growth was 5.0% YoY (5.0% YoY expected) in June, unchanged from May and at the lowest since June 2022.
- Annual average regular earnings growth was 4.8% YoY for the private sector. This is similar to the previous three-month period, when it was 4.9% YoY.
The early estimate of payroll employment in July indicates that there was a decline of just -8k, up from the decline of -26k in June (revised up from -41k).
- This would be a decline of -164k over the last year, or a -0.5% YoY drop.
- Early estimates for July 2025 indicate that median monthly pay increased by 5.7% YoY in July, up from 5.6% YoY in June.
Source
The UK added 134k jobs in the three months to May, up from 89k jobs added in the three months to April and well ahead of expectations of a 46k increase.
- The unemployment rate increased another 0.1 ppts to 4.7% (vs 4.6% expected) and is up 0.2 ppts in the last three months.
- The total number of unemployed has increased 98k in the three months to May and is up 124k YoY.
- The economic inactivity rate is down -0.4 ppts to 21.0% in the three months to May and is down -1.1 ppts over the last year.
- While unemployment has increased, the redundancy rate is actually down -0.1 to 3.9 in the three months to May.
The total number of job openings fell again, dropping -56k or -7.2% MoM in the three months to June to 727k, the lowest since April 2021.
- The total number of vacancies has dropped by an estimated 573k since its peak in March to May 2022.
- The number of unemployed people per vacancy was 2.3 in March to May 2025; this is up from 2.0 in the previous quarter (December 2024 to February 2025).
Total pay growth in May was 5.0% YoY (vs 5.0% YoY expected), down significantly from 5.4% YoY in April and the lowest since September 2024.
- Regular pay growth also eased to 5.0% YoY (vs 4.9% YoY expected) in May, down from 5.3% YoY in April and the lowest since June 2022.
- Regular pay growth in the private sector eased to 4.9% YoY (from 5.2% YoY), the lowest since February 2022.
- Regular pay growth in the public sector saw a smaller deceleration to 5.5% YoY (from 5.6% YoY).
The early estimate of payroll employment in June indicates a decline of -41k in June, a larger drop than the -25k decline seen in May (revised up from -10.9k initial estimate).
- This would be a decline of -178k over the last year, or a -0.6% YoY drop.
- The flash estimate of median pay growth for June is 5.6% YoY, down from the estimate of 5.7% YoY in May.
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The UK added 89k jobs in the three months to April, down from 112k jobs added in the three months to March.
- The unemployment rate increased 0.1 ppts to 4.6% (vs 4.6% expected) with the total number of unemployed up 94k in the three months to April.
- The economic inactivity rate fell -0.2 ppts to 21.3% in the three months to April and has fallen -0.9 ppts in the last year.
- The annual decrease in economic inactivity since February to April 2024 was largely because of those economically inactive because they were looking after family and home or were students.
Total job openings fell by -63k to 736k in the three months to May which is below the pre-pandemic average and the lowest since April 2021.
- The total number of unemployed people per vacancy increased to 2.2 in April, up from 2.1 in March.
Total pay growth in the UK was 5.3% YoY in April, down from 5.6% YoY in March and below expectations of an annual increase of 5.5% YoY.
- Regular pay growth (excluding bonuses) was up just 5.2% YoY (vs 5.4% YoY expected), slowing from 5.5% YoY and the slowest since September 2024.
The early estimate of payroll employment in May indicates a drop of -109k, a larger drop than the -55k drop seen in April (revised down from -33k).
- This would be a decline of -274k in the last year or -0.9% YoY.
- Early estimates for May 2025 indicate that median monthly pay was £2,521, an increase of 5.8% compared with the same period of the previous year.
Source
The UK added 112k jobs in the three months to March (Q1 2025), down from 206k in the three months to February and slightly below expectations of a 120k gain.
- The unemployment rate increased 0.1 ppts to 4.5% (vs 4.5% expected), but over the last three months, total redundancies were down -4k and the redundancy rate was down -0.1 to 3.8.
- The increase in unemployment likely came from a decline in the inactivity rate, down 0.2 ppts to 21.4% in the last three months.
The total number of job vacancies fell -42k in the quarter to April to 761k. This is down -14.7% from the level a year ago and the lowest since April 2021.
- The number of unemployed people per vacancy was 2.1 in Q1 2025, up from 1.9 in Q4 2024.
Total pay growth in the UK was up 5.5% YoY in March, down slightly from 5.7% YoY in February but above expectations of a 5.2% YoY increase.
- Regular pay growth (excluding bonuses) was 5.6% YoY, down from 5.9% YoY and below expectations of a 5.7% YoY increase.
- Annual average regular earnings growth was 5.6% YoY for the private sector and 5.5% YoY for the public sector.
The early estimate of payroll employment in April indicates a decline of -33k, slightly better than the -47k drop in March (revised up from -78k).
- On an annual basis, this would be a drop of -106k in payroll employment or -0.3% YoY.
- Early estimates for April 2025 indicate that median monthly pay increased by 6.4% compared with April 2024.
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The UK added 206k jobs in the three months to February, up from 144k in the three months to January, and the employment rate increased 0.2 ppts to 75.1%.
- The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.4%, in line with expectations, and the total number of unemployed only increased 14k in the three months to February.
- The economic inactivity rate fell -0.2 ppts to 21.4% and is down -0.7 ppts from a year ago.
- The redundancy rate increased 0.2 to 4.0 per thousand in February as the UK market continues to exhibit strength.
The total number of job vacancies fell -26k to 781k in the three months to March and is down -35k from 816k in February.
- Total estimated vacancies are now 15k below their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic January to March 2020 level. This is the first time they have fallen below this level since March to May 2021.
- The number of unemployed people per vacancy was 2.0 in December 2024 to February 2025, up from 1.9 in the previous quarter (September to November 2024) and up from 1.6 in the same period a year ago (December 2023 to February 2025).
Average weekly total pay growth in February was 5.6% YoY, unchanged from January and below expectations of a 5.7% YoY increase.
- Regular pay growth (excluding bonuses) ticked up to 5.9% YoY in February from 5.8% YoY in January.
- Annual average regular earnings growth was 5.9% YoY (prev 6.1% YoY) for the private sector and 5.7% (prev 5.3% YoY) for the public sector.
The early estimate of payroll employment in March indicates a drop of -78k, a much larger drop than the -8k decline (revised down from a 21k gain) seen in February.
- This is the largest monthly drop in the early estimates of payroll employment since May 2020.
- Early estimates of median monthly pay suggest it increased by 4.8% YoY in March, down from the 5.0% YoY estimate for February.
Source
The UK added 144k in the three months to January, above expectations of a 95k increase, and the employment rate ticked up 0.1 ppts in that period to 75.0%.
- The unemployment rate was 4.4%, unchanged from the December reading and in line with expectations.
- The redundancy rate was 4.2 per thousand, an increase of 0.9 over the last quarter but still down -0.4 from a year ago.
- The prime age economic inactivity rate is down -0.2 ppts to 21.5% over the last quarter, and down -0.6 ppts over the last year.
The total number of job vacancies were mostly unchanged in the three months to February, up just 1k to 816k.
- The largest quarterly percentage increase in vacancies was in construction, at 17.3%, followed by arts, entertainment and recreation at 10.5%.
- When comparing December 2024 to February 2025 with the same time last year, total vacancies decreased by 98,000 (-10.7% YoY), with declines in 12 of the 18 industry sectors.
Average weekly total pay growth in January was 5.8% YoY, down from 6.1% YoY in December and slightly below expectations.
- Regular pay growth (which excludes bonuses) was up 5.9% YoY, unchanged from the previous reading.
- Annual average regular earnings growth was 6.1% YoY for the private sector and 5.3% YoY for the public sector.
The early estimate of February monthly payroll growth is a small increase of 21k, below the projected increase of 95k.
- The January estimate was revised down from a 21k increase to a 9k increase.
- Early estimates for February 2025 indicate that median monthly pay increased by 5.0% YoY.
Source
The UK added 107k jobs in the three months to December which increased the employment rate by 0.1 ppts to 74.9%.
- The unemployment rate increased 0.1 ppts to 4.4% in that period which is unchanged from the three months to November and below expectations of a rise to 4.5%.
- The total number of unemployed only increased 48k, and the redundancy rate increased 0.7 ppts to 3.9%, but still lower by -0.1 vs a year ago.
- The economic inactivity rate fell -0.1 ppts to 21.5% and has fallen -0.5 ppts from a year ago.
- Total job vacancies are estimated to have seen a slight decline of -9k to 819k from the Aug-Oct quarter to the Nov-Jan quarter. However, from the previous meeting, vacancies increased 1k.
- The number of unemployed people per vacancy was 1.9 in Oct-Dec. This is up by 0.1 from 1.8 in the Jul-Sep quarter.
The UK’s key measure of wage growth, average regular earnings, was up 5.9% YoY in the quarter to December, up from 5.6% YoY in the quarter to November and in line with expectations.
- With bonuses, annual earnings growth was up 6.0% YoY, accelerating from 5.5% YoY previously and the highest in over a year.
- The private sector accounted for the acceleration in wage growth. Private regular annual earnings growth was up 6.2% YoY (vs 5.9% YoY previously).
Early estimates of January payrolls point to a 21k increase in employment compared to December and 49k compared to a year ago.
- The early December reading was revised up from a -47k decline to a -14k decline.
- Early wage growth data points to median monthly pay up 5.7% YoY.
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The UK added 13k jobs in November as job gains continue at a marginal pace. The employment change in the 3 months to November was 35k, the lowest since April. In the 3-month period, the employment rate ticked lower by -0.1 ppt to 74.8%, and total hours worked fell by -0.2 mil to 1.077.8 mil.

The early estimate of December employment growth suggests that the UK saw a decline of -8k. This would mean that employment growth was 0.0% YoY.

The unemployment rate has increased by 0.4 ppts over the last three months to reach 4.4% (vs expectations of 4.3%) in November. The redundancy rate has increased significantly by 1.0 to 3.8 per thousand.

A more concrete cooling in labor market conditions is evident in total job vacancies which fell -24k (or -2.9%) to 812k in the three months to December. Vacancies have fallen for 30 straight months and are down -12.7% YoY. The number of unemployed people per vacancy was 1.9, up by 0.2 in the three-month period from 1.7.

Despite a moderation in hiring and lower vacancies, total pay growth remained at a strong 5.6% YoY, up from 5.2% YoY. Regular pay growth saw a similar acceleration from 5.2% YoY to 5.6% YoY, ahead of expectations of 5.5% YoY growth.

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Total employment in the UK increased 173k in the three months to October, topping consensus estimates of a drop of -12k. In the month of October alone, the UK added 21k jobs. The unemployment rate remained unchanged from September at 4.3%. The inactivity rate dropped -0.2 ppts through October and stands at 21.7%.

Wage growth beat expectations in October as ONS reports that both total pay and regular pay were up 5.2% YoY in October from 4.4% YoY and 4.9% YoY respectively. The consensus estimates had total pay up 4.6% YoY and regular pay up 5.0% YoY. Real regular pay growth was 2.8% YoY, up from 2.3% YoY. The strength in real earnings growth comes from inflation rates slowly falling while compensation growth remains strong.

Early indicators of the labor market in November point to weakening conditions. Job vacancies continue to ease from the post-pandemic peak, falling -31k in the three months to November. The early estimate of the change in employment estimates a -35k drop in payrolls. Additionally, the flash estimate of median earnings growth suggests a deceleration from 7.9% YoY in October to 6.3% YoY in November.

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