UK unemployment rate was 4.7% in June to August 2026
The unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over fell to 4.7% in June to August 2026, while the employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 was 75.3%, ONS estimated.
Event / data period: 2026-08
Published: · Updated:
Unemployment was down 0.1 percentage points on both the previous quarter and a year earlier. Economic inactivity among people aged 16 to 64 was 20.9%, a 0.2-point annual decline.
Vacancies fell by 21,000 to 691,000 in July to September. The early estimate of payrolled employees for September was 30.3 million; ONS said this provisional administrative figure may be revised next month.
Data
Source data
Selected values reported in the official release.
- Unemployment rate, age 16+
- 4.7 percent
- 2026-06 — 2026-08 · Estimate
- Employment rate, age 16–64
- 75.3 percent
- 2026-06 — 2026-08 · Estimate
- Economic inactivity rate, age 16–64
- 20.9 percent
- 2026-06 — 2026-08 · Estimate
Methodology
Values retain the source agency’s periods and units; no additional calculation was made.
Updated:
Subjects and places
Subject proposals
- EconomySuggested
- Preserved editorial category/topic; broad candidate onlywww.ons.gov.uk ↗
- EmploymentSuggested
- Subject suggested from the title or summary: employmentwww.ons.gov.uk ↗
- Labor marketSuggested
- Subject suggested from the title or summary: employmentwww.ons.gov.uk ↗
- UnemploymentSuggested
- Subject suggested from the title or summary: unemploymentwww.ons.gov.uk ↗
Geographic references
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- United Kingdom · Place role: Coverage · Place type: Country or area · Location precision: RegionalEvidence
- Explicit preserved editorial country/region; no city or national centroid inferredwww.ons.gov.uk ↗