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ONS · Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis)

Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64

July 2026 Revised

3.9%

Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64 was 3.9% in July 2026, up 0.1 percentage points from 3.8% in July 2025.

▲ +0.1 percentage points against July 2025 (year on year)

  1. ONS percentage
  2. July 2026
  3. published 18 August 2026
  4. Claimant count by sex and age
  5. row “United Kingdom (K02000001), July 2026”
  6. column “Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64; Total; All categories: Age 16+”
  7. cell value 3.9

January 1996 to July 2026

Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64: January 1996 to July 2026ConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0%2%4%6%200020102020Before: Jobseeker's Allowance claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64. After: Jobseeker's Allowance and searching-for-work Universal Credit claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64, phased in by area.definition changeJanuary 1996: 6.3% percent · published 18 August 2026February 1996: 6.2% percent · published 18 August 2026March 1996: 6% percent · published 18 August 2026April 1996: 6% percent · published 18 August 2026May 1996: 5.8% percent · published 18 August 2026June 1996: 5.7% percent · published 18 August 2026July 1996: 5.8% percent · published 18 August 2026August 1996: 5.9% percent · published 18 August 2026September 1996: 5.7% percent · published 18 August 2026October 1996: 5.4% percent · published 18 August 2026November 1996: 5.1% percent · published 18 August 2026December 1996: 5.1% percent · published 18 August 2026January 1997: 5.1% percent · published 18 August 2026February 1997: 4.9% percent · published 18 August 2026March 1997: 4.7% percent · published 18 August 2026April 1997: 4.6% percent · published 18 August 2026May 1997: 4.4% percent · published 18 August 2026June 1997: 4.2% percent · published 18 August 2026July 1997: 4.3% percent · published 18 August 2026August 1997: 4.3% percent · published 18 August 2026September 1997: 4.1% percent · published 18 August 2026October 1997: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026November 1997: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026December 1997: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026January 1998: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026February 1998: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026March 1998: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026April 1998: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026May 1998: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026June 1998: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026July 1998: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026August 1998: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026September 1998: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026October 1998: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026November 1998: 3.4% percent · published 18 August 2026December 1998: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026January 1999: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026February 1999: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026March 1999: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026April 1999: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026May 1999: 3.4% percent · published 18 August 2026June 1999: 3.3% percent · published 18 August 2026July 1999: 3.4% percent · published 18 August 2026August 1999: 3.4% percent · published 18 August 2026September 1999: 3.3% percent · published 18 August 2026October 1999: 3.1% percent · published 18 August 2026November 1999: 3.1% percent · published 18 August 2026December 1999: 3% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2000: 3.3% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2000: 3.3% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2000: 3.2% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2000: 3% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2000: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2000: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2000: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2000: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2000: 2.8% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2000: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2000: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2000: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2001: 2.8% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2001: 2.8% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2001: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2001: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2001: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2001: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2001: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2001: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2001: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2001: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2001: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2001: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2002: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2002: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2002: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2002: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2002: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2002: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2002: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2002: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2002: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2002: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2002: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2002: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2003: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2003: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2003: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2003: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2003: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2003: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2003: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2003: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2003: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2003: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2003: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2003: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2004: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2004: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2004: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2004: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2004: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2004: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2004: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2004: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2004: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2004: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2004: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2004: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2005: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2005: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2005: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2005: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2005: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2005: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2005: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2005: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2005: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2005: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2005: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2005: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2006: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2006: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2006: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2006: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2006: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2006: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2006: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2006: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2006: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2006: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2006: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2006: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2007: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2007: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2007: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2007: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2007: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2007: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2007: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2007: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2007: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2007: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2007: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2007: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2008: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2008: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2008: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2008: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2008: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2008: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2008: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2008: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2008: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2008: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2008: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2008: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2009: 3.2% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2009: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2009: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2009: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2009: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2009: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2009: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2009: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2009: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2009: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2009: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2009: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2010: 4.1% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2010: 4.1% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2010: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2010: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2010: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2010: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2010: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2010: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2010: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2010: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2010: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2010: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2011: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2011: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2011: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2011: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2011: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2011: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2011: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2011: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2011: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2011: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2011: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2011: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2012: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2012: 4.1% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2012: 4.1% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2012: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2012: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2012: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2012: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2012: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2012: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2012: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2012: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2012: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2013: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2013: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2013: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2013: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2013: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2013: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2013: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2013: 3.4% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2013: 3.2% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2013: 3.1% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2013: 3% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2013: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2014: 3% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2014: 3% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2014: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2014: 2.8% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2014: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2014: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2014: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2014: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2014: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2014: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2014: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2014: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2015: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2015: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2015: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2015: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2015: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2015: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2015: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2015: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2015: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2015: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2015: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2015: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2016: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2016: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2016: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2016: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2016: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2016: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2016: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2016: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2016: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2016: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2016: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2016: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2017: 1.8% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2017: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2017: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2017: 1.9% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2018: 2% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2018: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2018: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2018: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2018: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2018: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2018: 2.1% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2018: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2018: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2018: 2.2% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2018: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2018: 2.3% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2019: 2.4% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2019: 2.5% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2019: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2019: 2.6% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2019: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2019: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2019: 2.7% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2019: 2.8% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2019: 2.8% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2019: 2.8% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2019: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2019: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2020: 2.9% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2020: 3% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2020: 3% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2020: 5% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2020: 6.3% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2020: 6.2% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2020: 6.3% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2020: 6.4% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2020: 6.3% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2020: 6.1% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2020: 6.2% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2020: 6.2% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2021: 6.1% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2021: 6.4% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2021: 6.3% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2021: 6.2% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2021: 5.8% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2021: 5.4% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2021: 5.3% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2021: 5.1% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2021: 4.8% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2021: 4.6% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2021: 4.5% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2021: 4.3% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2022: 4.2% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2022: 4.2% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2022: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2022: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2022: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2022: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2022: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2022: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2022: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2022: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2022: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2022: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2023: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2023: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2023: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2023: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2023: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2023: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2023: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2023: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2023: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2023: 3.5% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2023: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2023: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2024: 3.6% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2024: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2024: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2024: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2024: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2024: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2024: 4.1% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2024: 4.1% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2024: 4.1% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2024: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2024: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2024: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2025: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2025: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2025: 4% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2025: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2025: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2025: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2025: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026August 2025: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026September 2025: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026October 2025: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026November 2025: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026December 2025: 3.7% percent · published 18 August 2026January 2026: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026February 2026: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026March 2026: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026April 2026: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026May 2026: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026June 2026: 3.8% percent · published 18 August 2026July 2026: 3.9% percent · published 18 August 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestDashed line: change in coverage or methodShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

What this measures

The claimant count expressed by the ONS as a percentage of the area's residents aged 16 to 64. The ONS publishes this figure with the count; it is not calculated here.

What this doesn’t measure

The unemployment rate, which the Labour Force Survey measures as a share of the economically active population, not of all residents of working age.

Important caveat

The claimant count is an administrative count of people claiming unemployment-related benefits, published monthly by the ONS from Department for Work and Pensions systems. It is not the unemployment rate: someone unemployed who does not claim is not counted, and someone working few hours who does claim is. Who it counts has changed with the benefit system. Universal Credit widened the group of claimants required to look for work, and it rolled out area by area between 2013 and 2018, so a change over those years mixes two systems and areas reached the new system at different times; the ONS says the series is not comparable across the rollout. The latest month is revised in later releases. Figures are counts of claims, rounded by the publisher, and are not seasonally adjusted here.

When the way this was measured changed

A series can move because the thing being measured changed, or because the way of measuring it changed. Each change below is marked on the chart, and says what the figures meant on either side of it.

April 2013 · definition change

Before
Jobseeker's Allowance claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64.
After
Jobseeker's Allowance and searching-for-work Universal Credit claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64, phased in by area.

Universal Credit began replacing Jobseeker's Allowance, rolling out area by area until 2018, widening the group counted as claimants.

Revision history

No period of this series has been revised since it was first ingested here. Revisions are recorded automatically when a later release publishes a different figure for the same period.

Source

Publisher
ONS
Publication
Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis)
Release
Claimant count, July 2026, published 18 August 2026
Source file
NM_162_1_TYPE499+TYPE424_age=0_gender=0_measure=1,2.csv
File SHA-256
7aab8a4aab1bc91c9e8caa1d3a16ca8e6ac94ca530f59c474a4b604deffe3e06
Retrieved
3 September 2026
Sheet
NM_162_1
Table
Claimant count by sex and age
Row
United Kingdom (K02000001), July 2026
Column
Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64; Total; All categories: Age 16+
Cell value
3.9
Geography
United Kingdom
Unit
percent
API
/api/metrics/claimant_count_rate · /series · /vintages

Government periods

Change during each government, from the level inherited to the last complete period before it left office. Describes the period; does not attribute cause.

Labour 2024–3.8%June 20243.9%July 2026↑ 2.6%
Conservative 2019–20242.9%November 20193.8%June 2024↑ 31.0%
Conservative 2017–20191.9%May 20172.9%November 2019↑ 52.6%
Conservative 2015–20172%April 20151.9%May 2017↓ 5.0%
Coalition 2010–20153.9%April 20102%April 2015↓ 48.7%
Labour 2005–20102.2%April 20053.9%April 2010↑ 77.3%
Labour 2001–20052.6%May 20012.2%April 2005↓ 15.4%
Labour 1997–20014.6%April 19972.6%May 2001↓ 43.5%

Full comparison with chart

Release
Claimant count, July 2026 · publication page
Last updated
18 August 2026
Next release expected
Not yet announced (estimated from the usual cadence)