There were almost 1.51 million unemployed people in the United Kingdom in the three months to October 2024, with the figure in December 2020 being the highest number since July 2015, when there were almost 1.84 million unemployed. The rise in unemployment in Summer 2020 can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and closure of significant parts of the UK economy.
Number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom from January 2000 to October 2024
(in 1,000s)
Characteristic
Number of unemployed people in thousands
Oct 24
1,508
Sep 24
1,509
Aug 24
1,435
Jul 24
1,478
Jun 24
1,465
May 24
1,547
Apr 24
1,524
Mar 24
1,510
Feb 24
1,460
Jan 24
1,412
Dec 23
1,344
Nov 23
1,382
Oct 23
1,398
Sep 23
1,430
Aug 23
1,482
Jul 23
1,508
Jun 23
1,470
May 23
1,394
Apr 23
1,350
Mar 23
1,386
Feb 23
1,376
Jan 23
1,333
Dec 22
1,355
Nov 22
1,337
Oct 22
1,318
Sep 22
1,278
Aug 22
1,226
Jul 22
1,239
Jun 22
1,296
May 22
1,279
Apr 22
1,306
Mar 22
1,290
Feb 22
1,336
Jan 22
1,400
Dec 21
1,430
Nov 21
1,440
Oct 21
1,475
Sep 21
1,500
Aug 21
1,541
Jul 21
1,562
Jun 21
1,588
May 21
1,627
Apr 21
1,640
Mar 21
1,667
Feb 21
1,719
Jan 21
1,759
Dec 20
1,794
Nov 20
1,784
Oct 20
1,760
Sep 20
1,691
Aug 20
1,576
Jul 20
1,486
Jun 20
1,388
May 20
1,408
Apr 20
1,400
Mar 20
1,411
Feb 20
1,364
Jan 20
1,340
Dec 19
1,285
Nov 19
1,314
Oct 19
1,301
Sep 19
1,326
Aug 19
1,327
Jul 19
1,319
Jun 19
1,331
May 19
1,300
Apr 19
1,312
Mar 19
1,304
Feb 19
1,349
Jan 19
1,345
Dec 18
1,369
Nov 18
1,375
Oct 18
1,379
Sep 18
1,382
Aug 18
1,368
Jul 18
1,363
Jun 18
1,367
May 18
1,413
Apr 18
1,421
Mar 18
1,422
Feb 18
1,423
Jan 18
1,455
Dec 17
1,467
Nov 17
1,441
Oct 17
1,426
Sep 17
1,432
Aug 17
1,456
Jul 17
1,460
Jun 17
1,488
May 17
1,492
Apr 17
1,523
Mar 17
1,530
Feb 17
1,553
Jan 17
1,575
Dec 16
1,587
Nov 16
1,604
Oct 16
1,615
Sep 16
1,619
Aug 16
1,670
Jul 16
1,637
Jun 16
1,645
May 16
1,649
Apr 16
1,667
Mar 16
1,688
Feb 16
1,701
Jan 16
1,685
Dec 15
1,688
Nov 15
1,687
Oct 15
1,716
Sep 15
1,760
Aug 15
1,779
Jul 15
1,821
Jun 15
1,848
May 15
1,848
Apr 15
1,813
Mar 15
1,826
Feb 15
1,840
Jan 15
1,858
Dec 14
1,870
Nov 14
1,924
Oct 14
1,954
Sep 14
1,962
Aug 14
1,972
Jul 14
2,010
Jun 14
2,061
May 14
2,112
Apr 14
2,161
Mar 14
2,212
Feb 14
2,257
Jan 14
2,340
Dec 13
2,358
Nov 13
2,341
Oct 13
2,405
Sep 13
2,483
Aug 13
2,504
Jul 13
2,493
Jun 13
2,515
May 13
2,512
Apr 13
2,525
Mar 13
2,540
Feb 13
2,584
Jan 13
2,536
Dec 12
2,534
Nov 12
2,531
Oct 12
2,534
Sep 12
2,537
Aug 12
2,549
Jul 12
2,598
Jun 12
2,575
May 12
2,598
Apr 12
2,624
Mar 12
2,633
Feb 12
2,654
Jan 12
2,674
Dec 11
2,688
Nov 11
2,712
Oct 11
2,677
Sep 11
2,661
Aug 11
2,610
Jul 11
2,556
Jun 11
2,540
May 11
2,500
Apr 11
2,462
Mar 11
2,483
Feb 11
2,492
Jan 11
2,524
Dec 10
2,503
Nov 10
2,502
Oct 10
2,513
Sep 10
2,470
Aug 10
2,476
Jul 10
2,488
Jun 10
2,488
May 10
2,508
Apr 10
2,510
Mar 10
2,526
Feb 10
2,496
Jan 10
2,434
Dec 09
2,453
Nov 09
2,455
Oct 09
2,484
Sep 09
2,475
Aug 09
2,484
Jul 09
2,478
Jun 09
2,448
May 09
2,395
Apr 09
2,296
Mar 09
2,235
Feb 09
2,128
Jan 09
2,057
Dec 08
2,003
Nov 08
1,941
Oct 08
1,875
Sep 08
1,840
Aug 08
1,793
Jul 08
1,724
Jun 08
1,680
May 08
1,625
Apr 08
1,667
Mar 08
1,622
Feb 08
1,622
Jan 08
1,617
Dec 07
1,608
Nov 07
1,633
Oct 07
1,629
Sep 07
1,650
Aug 07
1,645
Jul 07
1,645
Jun 07
1,658
May 07
1,670
Apr 07
1,692
Mar 07
1,704
Feb 07
1,708
Jan 07
1,703
Dec 06
1,701
Nov 06
1,674
Oct 06
1,691
Sep 06
1,693
Aug 06
1,690
Jul 06
1,698
Jun 06
1,685
May 06
1,664
Apr 06
1,633
Mar 06
1,604
Feb 06
1,584
Jan 06
1,551
Dec 05
1,567
Nov 05
1,538
Oct 05
1,500
Sep 05
1,437
Aug 05
1,420
Jul 05
1,424
Jun 05
1,437
May 05
1,436
Apr 05
1,420
Mar 05
1,416
Feb 05
1,447
Jan 05
1,425
Dec 04
1,423
Nov 04
1,407
Oct 04
1,397
Sep 04
1,401
Aug 04
1,405
Jul 04
1,423
Jun 04
1,437
May 04
1,435
Apr 04
1,437
Mar 04
1,434
Feb 04
1,436
Jan 04
1,442
Dec 03
1,457
Nov 03
1,461
Oct 03
1,473
Sep 03
1,502
Aug 03
1,504
Jul 03
1,506
Jun 03
1,467
May 03
1,486
Apr 03
1,517
Mar 03
1,531
Feb 03
1,517
Jan 03
1,480
Dec 02
1,516
Nov 02
1,532
Oct 02
1,546
Sep 02
1,566
Aug 02
1,539
Jul 02
1,527
Jun 02
1,520
May 02
1,542
Apr 02
1,522
Mar 02
1,515
Feb 02
1,508
Jan 02
1,518
Dec 01
1,520
Nov 01
1,495
Oct 01
1,487
Sep 01
1,487
Aug 01
1,483
Jul 01
1,472
Jun 01
1,468
May 01
1,431
Apr 01
1,459
Mar 01
1,481
Feb 01
1,516
Jan 01
1,504
Dec 00
1,520
Nov 00
1,540
Oct 00
1,571
Sep 00
1,548
Aug 00
1,529
Jul 00
1,551
Jun 00
1,599
May 00
1,640
Apr 00
1,655
Mar 00
1,682
Feb 00
1,685
Jan 00
1,702
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Office for National Statistics (UK). (December 17, 2024). Number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom from January 2000 to October 2024 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/280383/unemployment-figures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom from January 2000 to October 2024 (in 1,000s)." Chart. December 17, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/280383/unemployment-figures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
Office for National Statistics (UK). (2024). Number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom from January 2000 to October 2024 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/280383/unemployment-figures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Number of People Unemployed in The United Kingdom from January 2000 to October 2024 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 17 Dec 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/280383/unemployment-figures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
Office for National Statistics (UK), Number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom from January 2000 to October 2024 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/280383/unemployment-figures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ (last visited December 24, 2024)
Number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom from January 2000 to October 2024 (in 1,000s) [Graph], Office for National Statistics (UK), December 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/280383/unemployment-figures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/