How many people are on zero-hours contracts in the UK?

The ONS estimates that 1.23 million people were on a zero-hours contract in their main job in April to June 2026, 3.6% of everyone in employment. The figure comes from the Labour Force Survey and is published every three months in the EMP17 dataset, last released on 18 August 2026.

EMP17 also breaks the total down by age, sex, region, industry and hours, and shows how many want more hours. Young people, students and part-time workers are more likely to be on these contracts.

The count depends on people knowing they are on a zero-hours contract, and the ONS changed its method in 2020, creating a break in the series. The Employment Rights Act 2025 includes new rules on zero-hours work, so check which period a claim covers.

Official sources: ONS EMP17: people on zero-hours contracts

The latest figure

The newest value is at Office for National Statistics (ONS). More on it: Average weekly hours worked in the UK.

When is the next figure out?

Monthly, usually a Tuesday in the middle of the month, 7am, in the ONS labour market release; next release 20 October 2026

Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.

Terms used in this answer

• Mean
  The total of all values divided by how many there are. Often what people mean by 'average', it can be pulled up or down by a few extreme values.
• Seasonally adjusted
  Figures that have had regular calendar patterns removed, such as Christmas shopping or summer jobs, so that underlying movements between months or quarters can be seen.
• Full-time equivalent (FTE) and headcount
  FTE converts part-time posts into full-time units, so two half-time staff count as one FTE. Headcount counts each person once regardless of hours.
• Survey sample
  The group of people or businesses selected to take part in a survey, chosen so that their answers can be used to estimate figures for the whole population.

Related questions

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• What is the UK unemployment rate?
• How are public sector pay rises decided?

This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about work, pay and employment: all Work, pay and employment questions.