United Kingdom Unemployment Rate

The United Kingdom’s unemployment rate edged up to 4.6% in the three months to April 2025 from 4.5% in the previous period, matching market expectations. This marked the highest level since the three months ending August 2021, attributed to moderating wage growth following sharp increases in payroll taxes and a 6.7% rise in the national minimum wage. The number of people unemployed for up to six months increased, as did those unemployed for over 12 months. On an annual basis, unemployment rose for both those unemployed up to 12 months and those unemployed for over 12 months. Meanwhile, the number of employed individuals rose by 89 thousand to 34.01 million, marking the smallest increase in employment so far this year, with gains driven by higher numbers of both part-time and full-time workers. The number of people holding second jobs also rose, now accounting for 4% of all employed individuals. Lastly, the economic inactivity rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 21.3%.