UK Employment Rises Above Expectations

2026-06-18 06:38 By Kyrie Dichosa 1 min. read

The number of employed people in the United Kingdom rose by 100 thousand to 34.410 million in the three months to April 2026, following a 148 thousand increase in the previous period and above forecasts of a 75 thousand gain.

This was mainly driven by growth in full-time employment, while part-time work declined over the quarter.

Compared with a year earlier, employment increased by 399 thousand, reflecting gains in both full-time and part-time workers, with the rise in full-time employment driven by employees and the increase in part-time work supported by self-employed workers.

Despite this, the employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 remained unchanged at 75.0%, both over the quarter and compared with a year earlier, following a period of relative stability since mid-2024.

Meanwhile, the number of people holding second jobs declined to 1.277 million, accounting for 3.7% of total employment.



News Stream
UK Employment Rises Above Expectations
The number of employed people in the United Kingdom rose by 100 thousand to 34.410 million in the three months to April 2026, following a 148 thousand increase in the previous period and above forecasts of a 75 thousand gain. This was mainly driven by growth in full-time employment, while part-time work declined over the quarter. Compared with a year earlier, employment increased by 399 thousand, reflecting gains in both full-time and part-time workers, with the rise in full-time employment driven by employees and the increase in part-time work supported by self-employed workers. Despite this, the employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 remained unchanged at 75.0%, both over the quarter and compared with a year earlier, following a period of relative stability since mid-2024. Meanwhile, the number of people holding second jobs declined to 1.277 million, accounting for 3.7% of total employment.
2026-06-18
UK Employment Rises Most in 8 Months
The number of employed people in the United Kingdom rose by 148 thousand to 34.392 million in the three months to March 2026, following a downwardly revised 24 thousand increase in the previous period. The reading also topped expectations of a 107 thousand gain and marked the largest job increase since July last year, driven by growth in both full-time and part-time work among employees and the self-employed, with full-time roles contributing most to the overall rise. Compared with a year earlier, employment increased by 416 thousand. Despite this, the employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 edged up by just 0.1 percentage points to 75.0%, remaining broadly stable over the year. Meanwhile, the number of people holding second jobs declined to 1.273 million, accounting for 3.7% of those in employment.
2026-05-19
UK Employment Up 24K in February
The number of employed people in the United Kingdom rose by 24 thousand to 34.3 million in the three months to February 2026, following an 84 thousand increase in the previous period. The increase in employment was driven by a rise in full-time workers, particularly among the self-employed, while the number of full-time employees remained largely unchanged and part-time employment declined. Compared with a year earlier, employment increased by 332 thousand. Despite the rise in employment, the employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 edged down by 0.1 percentage points to 75.0%. Meanwhile, the number of people holding second jobs declined to 1.273 million, accounting for 3.7% of those in employment.
2026-04-21