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May 20, 2026UK UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, JANUARY-MARCH 2026 
The UK unemployment rate for the three-month period January-March 2026 was 5.0%, 0.2 percentage points lower than the preceding 3 month period (October-December 2025). From January-March 2025, the UK unemployment rate averaged 4.5%.
There were 1.806 million unemployed people in the UK, 77,000 (-4.1%) lower than the preceding 3 month period and 192,000 (+11.9%) more than at the same time a year ago. Employment in the UK was at 34.392 million, 148,000 (+0.4%) more than the preceding 3 month period and 417,000 (+1.2%) more compared to a year earlier. UK labour force increased by 71,000 (+0.2%) from the preceding 3 month period, rising to 36.198 million and increased by 609,000 (+1.7%) over the past year.
In both Canada and Nova Scotia, both labour force and employment have grown more rapidly than in the UK.
Source: UK Labour Market Statistics; UK Labour Market Data; Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0287-01 Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months
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