There were almost 1.39 million unemployed people in the United Kingdom in the three months to August 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 July 2024
(in 1,000s)
Characteristic
Number of unemployed people in thousands
Aug 24
1,386
Jul 24
1,437
Jun 24
1,435
May 24
1,528
Apr 24
1,510
Mar 24
1,486
Feb 24
1,440
Jan 24
1,373
Dec 23
1,320
Nov 23
1,355
Oct 23
1,367
Sep 23
1,407
Aug 23
1,452
Jul 23
1,496
Jun 23
1,460
May 23
1,395
Apr 23
1,353
Mar 23
1,383
Feb 23
1,346
Jan 23
1,314
Dec 22
1,333
Nov 22
1,308
Oct 22
1,322
Sep 22
1,283
Aug 22
1,246
Jul 22
1,282
Jun 22
1,351
May 22
1,342
Apr 22
1,355
Mar 22
1,313
Feb 22
1,351
Jan 22
1,399
Dec 21
1,425
Nov 21
1,433
Oct 21
1,473
Sep 21
1,501
Aug 21
1,559
Jul 21
1,604
Jun 21
1,647
May 21
1,691
Apr 21
1,701
Mar 21
1,718
Feb 21
1,759
Jan 21
1,785
Dec 20
1,815
Nov 20
1,788
Oct 20
1,761
Sep 20
1,698
Aug 20
1,587
Jul 20
1,514
Jun 20
1,435
May 20
1,441
Apr 20
1,421
Mar 20
1,412
Feb 20
1,401
Jan 20
1,380
Dec 19
1,326
Nov 19
1,342
Oct 19
1,316
Sep 19
1,341
Aug 19
1,349
Jul 19
1,329
Jun 19
1,364
May 19
1,326
Apr 19
1,338
Mar 19
1,331
Feb 19
1,375
Jan 19
1,371
Dec 18
1,395
Nov 18
1,401
Oct 18
1,404
Sep 18
1,407
Aug 18
1,392
Jul 18
1,387
Jun 18
1,391
May 18
1,437
Apr 18
1,444
Mar 18
1,445
Feb 18
1,446
Jan 18
1,478
Dec 17
1,490
Nov 17
1,464
Oct 17
1,448
Sep 17
1,454
Aug 17
1,477
Jul 17
1,482
Jun 17
1,509
May 17
1,513
Apr 17
1,543
Mar 17
1,551
Feb 17
1,573
Jan 17
1,595
Dec 16
1,607
Nov 16
1,623
Oct 16
1,634
Sep 16
1,638
Aug 16
1,689
Jul 16
1,655
Jun 16
1,663
May 16
1,667
Apr 16
1,685
Mar 16
1,705
Feb 16
1,718
Jan 16
1,702
Dec 15
1,705
Nov 15
1,704
Oct 15
1,732
Sep 15
1,776
Aug 15
1,795
Jul 15
1,837
Jun 15
1,863
May 15
1,863
Apr 15
1,827
Mar 15
1,840
Feb 15
1,854
Jan 15
1,872
Dec 14
1,883
Nov 14
1,937
Oct 14
1,966
Sep 14
1,974
Aug 14
1,984
Jul 14
2,022
Jun 14
2,073
May 14
2,124
Apr 14
2,172
Mar 14
2,223
Feb 14
2,267
Jan 14
2,350
Dec 13
2,368
Nov 13
2,350
Oct 13
2,414
Sep 13
2,492
Aug 13
2,513
Jul 13
2,501
Jun 13
2,523
May 13
2,519
Apr 13
2,533
Mar 13
2,547
Feb 13
2,591
Jan 13
2,542
Dec 12
2,540
Nov 12
2,537
Oct 12
2,539
Sep 12
2,542
Aug 12
2,554
Jul 12
2,603
Jun 12
2,579
May 12
2,601
Apr 12
2,627
Mar 12
2,636
Feb 12
2,657
Jan 12
2,676
Dec 11
2,690
Nov 11
2,714
Oct 11
2,678
Sep 11
2,662
Aug 11
2,611
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). (October 15, 2024). Number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom from January 2000 to July 2024 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 31, 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 July 2024 (in 1,000s)." Chart. October 15, 2024. Statista. Accessed October 31, 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 July 2024 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 31, 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 July 2024 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 15 Oct 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 July 2024 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/280383/unemployment-figures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ (last visited October 31, 2024)
Number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom from January 2000 to July 2024 (in 1,000s) [Graph], Office for National Statistics (UK), October 15, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/280383/unemployment-figures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/