The United Kingdom’s unemployment rate came in at 4.7% for the reference period of August 2026, below the market forecast of 4.9%. The figure was also lower than the previous period, which stood at 4.9%.
What the figure measures
The unemployment rate shows the share of people in the labour force who are out of work and actively looking for a job. A lower reading means a smaller share of the workforce is without employment.
Against forecast, the reading was 0.2 percentage points lower, and against the previous period it was also 0.2 points lower, so both comparisons point the same way. The data was released at 06:00 GMT on 20 October 2026.
Context
In the United States, the unemployment rate for September 2026 was 4.2%, the highest reading in 31 days. That figure is a separate monthly statistic and is not part of the UK release.
Related: Canada Inflation Rate Hits 3.1% vs 3.2% Forecast
Data: FRED — St. Louis Fed
