UK Sees Rise in Unemployment Rate

(MENAFN) The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed on Tuesday that the UK's jobless rate stood at 4.7% between April and June 2025.

According to the agency, "This is above estimates of a year ago, and up in the latest quarter."

This signals a mild deterioration in labor market conditions compared to previous data.

Simultaneously, the proportion of people in work across the UK reached 75.3% during the same three-month period, the statistics body further reported.

This figure offers insight into how many individuals are currently holding jobs in the economy.

In terms of workforce numbers, estimates indicate a decline of 149,000 employees, or 0.5%, between June 2024 and June 2025.

A smaller drop of 26,000, equal to 0.1%, was noted between May and June 2025.

These figures suggest a continued, though modest, contraction in the labor market.

Focusing on the quarter from April to June 2025, employee numbers decreased by 110,000, or 0.4%, compared to the previous year.

Over the three-month span, the decline was 66,000, equivalent to 0.2%.

These trends point to a consistent downward movement in employment figures.

Early data for July 2025 showed a further drop in the number of employees, down by 164,000 (0.5%) year-on-year, and a slight dip of 8,000 (0.0%) from the previous month, bringing the total to approximately 30.3 million workers.

Meanwhile, the economic inactivity rate—referring to those neither working nor seeking employment—stood at 21% between April and June 2025.

The ONS noted, "This is below estimates of a year ago, and down in the latest quarter," indicating a small improvement in labor force engagement.

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