Year Employed Unemployed Economically active Economically inactive Population of working age Of which: Potential labour reserve Activity rate Unemployment rate Employment rate
thousand persons %
Total
2009 3,831.4 416.6 4,248.0 2,162.5 6,410.6 666.5 66.3 9.8 59.8
2010 3,811.4 468.4 4,279.8 2,110.6 6,390.4 730.4 67.0 10.9 59.6
2011 3,833.0 464.5 4,297.5 2,055.0 6,352.5 753.9 67.6 10.8 60.3
2012 3,886.8 470.3 4,357.2 1,949.3 6,306.5 777.8 69.1 10.8 61.6
2013 3,963.8 438.2 4,401.9 1,856.6 6,258.6 749.8 70.3 10.0 63.3
2014 4,155.1 341.1 4,496.2 1,689.4 6,185.7 606.2 72.7 7.6 67.2
2015 4,275.8 306.4 4,582.1 1,677.9 6,260.1 523.3 73.2 6.7 68.3
2016 4,403.7 232.7 4,636.4 1,577.6 6,214.0 410.5 74.6 5.0 70.9
2017 4,489.3 190.6 4,679.9 1,601.6 6,281.5 348.6 74.5 4.1 71.5
2018 4,515.3 168.6 4,684.0 1,500.0 6,184.0 302.6 75.7 3.6 73.0
2019 4,548.6 156.9 4,705.4 1,579.0 6,284.4 289.2 74.9 3.3 72.4
2020 4,484.9 194.6 4,679.5 1,540.3 6,219.8 367.1 75.2 4.2 72.1
2021 4,511.2 190.4 4,701.5 1,456.7 6,158.3
343.1a
76.3 4.0 73.3
2022 4,583.5 171.6 4,755.1 1,483.0 6,238.1 277.1 76.2 3.6 73.5
2023 4,600.1 198.3 4,798.4 1,423.8 6,222.2 291.4 77.1 4.1 73.9
Male
2009 1,988.6 231.7 2,220.3 933.8 3,154.1 355.2 70.4 10.4 63.0
2010 1,959.3 261.5 2,220.8 924.7 3,145.5 389.2 70.6 11.8 62.3
2011 1,982.0 251.1 2,233.1 893.0 3,126.1 395.1 71.4 11.2 63.4
2012 2,009.9 260.8 2,270.7 848.5 3,119.2 405.5 72.8 11.5 64.4
2013 2,066.1 238.5 2,304.6 792.1 3,096.7 388.2 74.4 10.3 66.7
2014 2,181.3 180.6 2,361.9 706.0 3,067.9 308.9 77.0 7.6 71.1
2015 2,251.8 161.0 2,412.8 694.2 3,107.0 267.7 77.7 6.7 72.5
2016 2,314.5 126.8 2,441.3 643.9 3,085.2 211.1 79.1 5.2 75.0
2017 2,382.8 95.4 2,478.2 642.6 3,120.8 168.5 79.4 3.9 76.4
2018 2,408.4 87.4 2,495.8 597.7 3,093.5 149.5 80.7 3.5 77.9
2019 2,439.1 84.8 2,524.0 622.7 3,146.6 146.7 80.2 3.4 77.5
2020 2,409.5 104.0 2,513.4 608.0 3,121.4 182.5 80.5 4.1 77.2
2021 2,417.1 98.1 2,515.2 579.3 3,094.4
169.3a
81.3 3.9 78.1
2022 2,444.3 94.2 2,538.5 589.1 3,127.6 144.9 81.2 3.7 78.2
2023 2,450.9 105.1 2,556.1 572.2 3,128.2 147.2 81.7 4.1 78.3
Female
2009 1,842.8 184.9 2,027.7 1,228.8 3,256.5 311.3 62.3 9.1 56.6
2010 1,852.1 206.9 2,059.0 1,185.9 3,244.9 341.2 63.5 10.0 57.1
2011 1,850.9 213.4 2,064.3 1,162.1 3,226.4 358.8 64.0 10.3 57.4
2012 1,876.9 209.5 2,086.5 1,100.9 3,187.3 372.3 65.5 10.0 58.9
2013 1,897.7 199.7 2,097.3 1,064.5 3,161.8 361.6 66.3 9.5 60.0
2014 1,973.8 160.5 2,134.3 983.5 3,117.8 297.3 68.5 7.5 63.3
2015 2,024.0 145.3 2,169.3 983.7 3,153.1 255.5 68.8 6.7 64.2
2016 2,089.2 105.9 2,195.1 933.7 3,128.8 199.4 70.2 4.8 66.8
2017 2,106.5 95.2 2,201.7 959.0 3,160.6 180.1 69.7 4.3 66.6
2018 2,107.0 81.2 2,188.2 902.3 3,090.5 153.1 70.8 3.7 68.2
2019 2,109.4 72.0 2,181.5 956.3 3,137.8 142.5 69.5 3.3 67.2
2020 2,075.4 90.7 2,166.1 932.3 3,098.4 184.6 69.9 4.2 67.0
2021 2,094.1 92.3 2,186.4 877.4 3,063.8
173.8a
71.4 4.2 68.3
2022 2,139.2 77.4 2,216.6 893.9 3,110.5 132.1 71.3 3.5 68.8
2023 2,149.1 93.2 2,242.3 851.7 3,094.0 144.2 72.5 4.2 69.5

Footnotes

*From 25 October 2024 onwards, the Labour Force Survey estimates are produced using population projections based on the 2022 Census. The data has been extrapolated back to 2018 using the new base. Working age: in 2009–2014 males: 15–61 years, females: 15–61 years, in 2015–2016 males: 15–62 years, females: 15–62 years, in 2017–2018 males: 15–63 years, females: 15–63 years, in 2019–2021 males: 15–64 years, females: 15–64 years. from 2022 males: 15–65 years, females: 15–65 years. Source: Labour Force Survey, HCSO.
aFrom 2021, the potential labor reserve determin according to the Eurostat methodology.
.