The UK unemployment rate rose to 4.1 percent in the three months to July of 2020 from 3.9 percent in the previous period, matching market expectations. It was the highest jobless rate since the three months to October 2018, as the coronavirus pandemic hit the labour market. For May to July 2020, an estimated 1.4 million people were unemployed, up 104,000 on the year and up 62,000 on the quarter. The quarterly rise was mainly driven by an increase for unemployed people aged 18 to 24 years and people who have been unemployed for up to six months. The number of people who are estimated to be temporarily away from work (including furloughed workers) has fallen, but it was still more than 5 million in July 2020, with over 2.5 million of these being away for three months or more. There were also around 250,000 people away from work because of the pandemic and receiving no pay in July 2020. Total pay fell by 1 percent on the year, the third consecutive decline in earnings.

Unemployment Rate in the United Kingdom averaged 6.91 percent from 1971 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 12 percent in February of 1984 and a record low of 3.40 percent in November of 1973. This page provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United Kingdom Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on September of 2020. source: Office for National Statistics