Labour Costs in the United Kingdom increased to 114.50 points in the first quarter of 2026 from 112.70 points in the fourth quarter of 2025. Labour Costs in the United Kingdom averaged 76.59 points from 1997 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 114.50 points in the first quarter of 2026 and a record low of 52.20 points in the first quarter of 1997. source: Office for National Statistics

Labour Costs in the United Kingdom is expected to be 115.83 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Labour Costs is projected to trend around 118.98 points in 2027 and 121.48 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average Weekly Hours 32.10 31.90 Hours Jun 2026
Claimant Count Change -11.00 -6.40 Thousand Jul 2026
Employed Persons 34469.00 34475.00 Thousand Jun 2026
Employment Change 83.00 147.00 Thousand Jun 2026
Employment Rate 75.10 75.10 percent Jun 2026
Full Time Employment 25746.00 25695.00 Thousand Jun 2026
Job Vacancies 707.00 711.00 Thousand Jun 2026
Labor Force Participation Rate 79.10 79.10 percent Jun 2026
Labour Costs 114.50 112.70 points Mar 2026
HMRC Payrolls Change -12.85 -13.49 Thousand Jul 2026
Part Time Employment 8724.00 8780.00 Thousand Jun 2026
Population 69.49 69.28 Million Dec 2025
Labour Productivity 99.30 100.10 points Jun 2026
Unemployed Persons 1675.50 1681.90 Thousand Jun 2026
Unemployment Rate 4.90 4.90 percent Jun 2026
Average Earnings incl. Bonus (3Mo/Yr) 4.10 4.40 percent Jun 2026
Average Weekly Wages 755.00 751.00 GBP/Week Jun 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 824.00 813.00 GBP/Week Jun 2026
Youth Unemployment Rate 14.60 14.80 percent Jun 2026


United Kingdom Labour Costs
In the UK, unit labour costs (ULCs) reflect the full labour costs, including social security and employers’ pension contributions, incurred in the production of a unit of economic output. Changes in labour costs are a large factor in overall changes in the cost of production. If increased costs are not reflected in increased output, for instance, this can put upward pressure on the prices of goods and services – sometimes referred to as “inflationary pressure”.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
114.50 112.70 114.50 52.20 1997 - 2026 points Quarterly
2023=100, SA