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June 18, 2026UK UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, FEBRUARY-APRIL 2026 
The UK unemployment rate for the three-month period February-April 2026 was 4.9%, 0.3 percentage points lower than the preceding 3 month period (November 2025-January 2026). From February-April 2025, the UK unemployment rate averaged 4.6%.
There were 1.764 million unemployed people in the UK, 105,000 (-5.6%) lower than the preceding 3 month period and 124,000 (+7.6%) more than at the same time a year ago. Employment in the UK was at 34.410 million, 100,000 (+0.3%) more than the preceding 3 month period and 399,000 (+1.2%) more compared to a year earlier. UK labour force decreased by 6,000 (-0.02%) from the preceding 3 month period, slowing to 36.173 million and increased by 522,000 (+1.5%) 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