UK public spending on employment policies by year
Employment programmes and services.
£3.7 billion
0.1%
HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) put public spending on employment policies at £3.7 billion in 2025-26. In 2024-25 it was £4.0 billion, so the cash figure changed by -7.5%. Adjusted to 2025-26 prices, it was £5.7 billion in 2003-04 and £3.7 billion in 2025-26. As a share of GDP it was 0.1% in 2025-26; the highest share in the table is 0.3% in 2003-04.
Spending by year
| Year | Cash | Change on previous year | Real terms (2025-26 prices) | Share of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | £3.7 billion | -7.5% | £3.7 billion | 0.1% |
| 2024-25 | £4.0 billion | -16.7% | £4.1 billion | 0.1% |
| 2023-24 | £4.8 billion | +26.3% | £5.2 billion | 0.2% |
| 2022-23 | £3.8 billion | -9.5% | £4.3 billion | 0.1% |
| 2021-22 | £4.2 billion | +61.5% | £5.1 billion | 0.2% |
| 2020-21 | £2.6 billion | +13.0% | £3.2 billion | 0.1% |
| 2019-20 | £2.3 billion | -14.8% | £2.9 billion | 0.1% |
| 2018-19 | £2.7 billion | +3.8% | £3.5 billion | 0.1% |
| 2017-18 | £2.6 billion | +8.3% | £3.5 billion | 0.1% |
| 2016-17 | £2.4 billion | – | £3.3 billion | 0.1% |
| 2015-16 | £2.4 billion | -17.2% | £3.3 billion | 0.1% |
| 2014-15 | £2.9 billion | -23.7% | £4.1 billion | 0.2% |
| 2013-14 | £3.8 billion | +31.0% | £5.4 billion | 0.2% |
| 2012-13 | £2.9 billion | -9.4% | £4.2 billion | 0.2% |
| 2011-12 | £3.2 billion | -31.9% | £4.7 billion | 0.2% |
| 2010-11 | £4.7 billion | +14.6% | £7.1 billion | 0.3% |
| 2009-10 | £4.1 billion | +17.1% | £6.3 billion | 0.3% |
| 2008-09 | £3.5 billion | +66.7% | £5.4 billion | 0.2% |
| 2007-08 | £2.1 billion | -36.4% | £3.4 billion | 0.1% |
| 2006-07 | £3.3 billion | – | £5.4 billion | 0.2% |
| 2005-06 | £3.3 billion | +3.1% | £5.6 billion | 0.2% |
| 2004-05 | £3.2 billion | – | £5.5 billion | 0.2% |
| 2003-04 | £3.2 billion | £5.7 billion | 0.3% |
PESA 2026 Tables 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4, line "of which: employment policies". About these figures · CSV
Sources and receipts
- Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2026, Chapter 4 tables, HM Treasury.
File: PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_4_tables.xlsx. Read 2026-10-15. SHA-256
50ae80d95c4e542c34a17dfa8bc302858ca6508b6753e27bb31920cec9bb75c4