UK employment rate

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), series LF24. Monthly, usually a Tuesday in the middle of the month, 7am (ONS labour market release); next release 20 October 2026

UK employment rate: every value, by year, with a CSV download →

What it measures

The employment rate is the percentage of people aged 16 to 64 who are in work. Anyone who did at least one hour of paid work in the survey reference week counts as employed, as do people temporarily away from a job, such as on holiday or sick leave, and unpaid workers in a family business. The 16 to 64 age range is used for the headline because most people above 64 are retired; the ONS also publishes employment levels for everyone aged 16 and over. Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity together cover the whole population.

How to read it

Each value is a three-month rolling average from the Labour Force Survey. The figures come from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), a household sample survey, so they carry sampling error and month-to-month changes are often within the margin of uncertainty. The ONS has reported lower LFS response rates in recent years and publishes regular LFS quality updates; read the quality notes in the latest bulletin before drawing conclusions from small changes. A rising number of people in work does not always mean a rising employment rate, because the population is also growing; compare the rate, not only the level. For a count of payrolled employees from tax records, the ONS publishes PAYE Real Time Information figures from HMRC, which are administrative data and are revised as late returns arrive.

Background

The ONS series starts with January to March 1971. Its highest value, 76.5%, was for December 2019 to February 2020, just before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and its lowest, 65.6%, was recorded in several periods in 1983. The ONS publishes the rate by sex, age group and region in its labour market tables, and by local area through Nomis, so long-run changes can be checked for each group.

Other parts of the UK

ONS: Labour market in the regions of the UK · Nomis: official labour market statistics for local areas · Scottish Government labour market statistics · Welsh Government labour market overview · NISRA Labour Force Survey (Northern Ireland)

How many people are in work in the UK?

The ONS labour market bulletin gives the number of people in employment alongside the rate, for people aged 16 and over and for 16 to 64. It also publishes the number of payrolled employees from HMRC tax data, which is a different measure and excludes most self-employed people. Quote the measure, the age range and the period with any figure.

Does working one hour a week count as employed?

Yes. Under the international definition used by the ONS, doing at least one hour of paid work in the reference week counts as employment. This allows comparison with other countries. The ONS publishes separate figures for full-time and part-time work, hours worked and people wanting more hours, which give more detail on the kind of work people have.

Why does the employment rate stop at 64?

The headline rate uses ages 16 to 64 because that range covers most of the working-age population and stays comparable over time. The ONS also publishes an employment rate for people aged 65 and over and a level for everyone aged 16 and over. Check the age range before comparing figures from different sources.

Related questions

• What is the UK unemployment rate?
• How is UK unemployment calculated?
• What is the average salary in the UK?

More on this source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) official statistics