Jobs and pay
Jobs, pay and unemployment in the UK, as the ONS, HMRC and DWP record them. Ministers often cite employment records and wage growth; these pages show the official series behind such claims, and the pay and conditions set by government such as the minimum wage.
Statements checked against the record
- Dave Doogan on youth unemployment, 7 July 2026
Dave Doogan said: “Youth unemployment stood at 626,000 last year, so with this fabulous economy, why has it gone up by 109,000?” This page repeats what Office for National Statistics reports.
- Helen Whately on unemployment among 18 to 24-year-olds, 27 April 2026
Helen Whately said: “Unemployment among 18 to 24-year-olds is at 14.3%—that means that one in seven young people is unemployed.” This page repeats what Office for National Statistics reports.
- Pat McFadden on the unemployment rate, 27 April 2026
Pat McFadden said: “The latest unemployment figures published last week show a fall to 4.9% in February, which I am sure the whole House will welcome.” This page repeats what Office for National Statistics reports.
- Sarah Olney on unemployment, Spring Forecast debate 3 March 2026
Sarah Olney said: “In the three months to December, unemployment reached 5.2%, the highest rate for nearly five years, and youth unemployment has hit a staggering 16%.” This page repeats what Office for National Statistics reports.
- Keir Starmer on the unemployment rate, PMQs 17 December 2025
Keir Starmer said: “I remind the Conservatives that, under their watch, unemployment averaged 5.4%—higher than it is today.” This page repeats what Office for National Statistics reports.
- Richard Tice on payrolled employees, Budget debate 26 November 2025
Richard Tice said: “Jobs are down by nearly 200,000 people since the last Budget.” This page repeats what Office for National Statistics reports.
- Rachel Reeves on minimum wage rates, Budget 26 November 2025
Rachel Reeves said: “I am accepting the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission in full and increasing the minimum wage for 18 to 20-year-olds from £10 to £10.85 per hour, and increasing the living wage from £12.21 to £…” This page repeats what GOV.UK reports.
- Kemi Badenoch on unemployment and payrolled jobs, PMQs 12 November 2025
Kemi Badenoch said: “Yesterday, we learned that unemployment has risen to the same rate as it was in lockdown—180,000 jobs lost.” This page repeats what Office for National Statistics reports.
Key official figures
- UK employment rate
Employment rate, aged 16 to 64, seasonally adjusted
- UK unemployment rate
Unemployment rate, aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted
- UK economic inactivity rate
Economic inactivity rate, aged 16 to 64, seasonally adjusted
- UK average weekly earnings growth
Annual growth in average weekly total pay, three-month average, Great Britain
- UK real pay growth
Annual growth in real average weekly total pay, three-month average, Great Britain
- UK job vacancies
Vacancies, thousands (three-month average)
- UK redundancy rate
Redundancies per 1,000 employees (three months)
- Number of self-employed people in the UK
Self-employed people aged 16 and over, thousands
- Average weekly hours worked in the UK
Average actual weekly hours, all workers
- People on Universal Credit (Great Britain)
People on Universal Credit, Great Britain
Explore the data
Questions answered from official sources
- How big is the UK economy (GDP)?
- What is UK GDP per capita?
- Is the UK in recession?
- How is UK productivity measured?
- What is the UK unemployment rate?
- What is the average salary in the UK?
- How are public sector pay rises decided?
- How many people are out of work due to long-term sickness?
- How many people work in the public sector in the UK?
- How many people are self-employed in the UK?
- What is the gender pay gap in the UK?
- How many people are on zero-hours contracts in the UK?
More questions: Economy, jobs and wages · Work, pay and employment · Public sector workers and pay
Who publishes the official record
- Higher education and student finance statistics (HESA, Student Loans Company, Office for Students and DfE)
- UK labour market statistics (ONS, Nomis and the gender pay gap reporting service)
- Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) and Northern Ireland departmental statistics
- Scottish official statistics: Scottish Government, National Records of Scotland, Public Health Scotland and others
- UK trade statistics (ONS, HMRC uktradeinfo and Department for Business and Trade)
- Bank of England Statistical Interactive Database
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) statistics and Stat-Xplore
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) official statistics
- International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and World Bank data
- Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)
- UK poverty and household income statistics (DWP, ONS, DESNZ, Low Pay Commission and devolved governments)
- Financial Reporting Council (FRC)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- Insolvency Service
- Office for National Statistics (ONS)
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Nomis (ONS labour market statistics)
- Companies House
Terms explained
Where the power sits
Other topics: Economy · Cost of living · Public finances · Health and care · Housing · Crime and justice · Immigration · Education · Environment · Energy · Water · Transport · Companies · Politics and Parliament · Statistics and data · AI