FX.co ★ UK Jobless Rate Rises to Nearly 4-Year High

The United Kingdom experienced a rise in its unemployment rate to 4.7% over the three months leading up to May 2025, exceeding market predictions which anticipated it would stick at April’s 2.6%. This figure represents the highest unemployment rate since the three-month period ending in July 2021. Compared to the previous period, there was an increase in unemployment across all durations—those unemployed for up to 6 months, between 6 and 12 months, and over 12 months. Annually, unemployment rose in each of these segments as well. Concurrently, the employment numbers increased by 134,000, reaching 34.13 million, the highest since February. This rise was observed in both part-time and full-time employment sectors. Additionally, the percentage of individuals with second jobs rose, now comprising 3.9% of the total workforce. Meanwhile, the economic inactivity rate experienced a decline of 0.3 percentage points, bringing it down to 21%.