In 2024, 11.6 percent of employees aged 16 to 24 were on a zero-hours work contract in the United Kingdom. This type of contract does not guarantee any working hours for the employee, with employers only offering work hours when required. Although a relatively high percentage of 16-24-year-old's work on a zero-hours basis, this type of arrangement is rarer among older age groups, with only two percent of 35-49-year-old workers on this type of contract.
Percentage of employees on a zero-hours contract in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2024, by age group
Characteristic
16-24
25-34
35-49
50-64
65+
2024
11.6%
2%
1.8%
2.2%
5%
2023
13.5%
3.1%
1.9%
2.2%
5.3%
2022
10.6%
2.2%
2%
2.1%
4.5%
2021
9.1%
2.4%
1.7%
2.1%
4%
2020
10.8%
2.6%
1.8%
2.3%
5.2%
2019
8.8%
1.8%
1.5%
2.2%
4%
2018
7%
2%
1.4%
2%
3.4%
2017
7.8%
2.2%
1.6%
2.2%
4%
2016
8.5%
2.3%
1.6%
2.2%
4.1%
2015
6.7%
2.2%
1.5%
1.7%
3.6%
2014
6.3%
1.7%
1.1%
1.6%
2.7%
2013
5.7%
1.7%
1%
1.3%
3.9%
0%2.5%5%7.5%10%12.5%15%
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Office for National Statistics (UK). (August 13, 2024). Percentage of employees on a zero-hours contract in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2024, by age group [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 16, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/398569/share-of-employed-population-zero-hour-contracts-age/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Percentage of employees on a zero-hours contract in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2024, by age group." Chart. August 13, 2024. Statista. Accessed May 16, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/398569/share-of-employed-population-zero-hour-contracts-age/
Office for National Statistics (UK). (2024). Percentage of employees on a zero-hours contract in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2024, by age group. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 16, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/398569/share-of-employed-population-zero-hour-contracts-age/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Percentage of Employees on a Zero-hours Contract in The United Kingdom from 2013 to 2024, by Age Group." Statista, Statista Inc., 13 Aug 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/398569/share-of-employed-population-zero-hour-contracts-age/
Office for National Statistics (UK), Percentage of employees on a zero-hours contract in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2024, by age group Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/398569/share-of-employed-population-zero-hour-contracts-age/ (last visited May 16, 2025)
Percentage of employees on a zero-hours contract in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2024, by age group [Graph], Office for National Statistics (UK), August 13, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/398569/share-of-employed-population-zero-hour-contracts-age/
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