Metric permalink
Employment rate (16–64)
Part of the Work and Productivity domain. Proportion of the working-age population (16–64) in employment, the headline measure of labour market participation.
Latest data
Latest reading
2025
Change between the two latest observations (2024 to 2025), in stress score.
A lower reading is treated as worse for this indicator.
Score composition
Stress score
Since the August 2026 release
What changed on this indicator between the two releases: method only.
Blended from two measured components: (2/3 weight) and trend (1/3 weight); where no trend can be computed the metric is scored on its level alone. Volatility is published as a diagnostic and does not enter the blend. Full formula on the methodology page.
Level · 2/3 weight
Percentile: this metric is scored against its own history, where today sits between its best and worst recorded years.
Trend · 1/3 weight
Measured from the direction and size of the change between the two most recent readings.
Volatility · diagnostic, not blended
8Measured from how much this indicator has swung period on period across its recorded history.
Data confidence and provenance
Confidence and source
How much weight to put on the reading, the mean data-confidence across the component metrics (source quality, recency and completeness).
Source
Labour market overview
- Update frequency
- Monthly
- Reliability
- medium
Provenance
- Provider
- ONS
- Series ID
- LF24/LMS
- Frequency
- annual
- Accessed
- 25 August 2026
Known weakness
LFS response rates have declined sharply since 2020, requiring increased reweighting that may introduce bias into participation estimates.
Notes
Verified official value from ONS (LF24/LMS), accessed 2026-08-25.
Historical values
History
| Period | Value | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 72.8 | |
| 2007 | 72.7 | |
| 2008 | 72.6 | |
| 2009 | 70.9 | |
| 2010 | 70.4 | |
| 2011 | 70.3 | |
| 2012 | 71 | |
| 2013 | 71.5 | |
| 2014 | 72.9 | |
| 2015 | 73.7 | |
| 2016 | 74.3 | |
| 2017 | 74.9 | |
| 2018 | 75.5 | |
| 2019 | 76.1 | |
| 2020 | 75.1 | |
| 2021 | 74.8 | |
| 2022 | 75.1 | |
| 2023 | 75.1 | |
| 2024 | 74.8 | |
| 2025 | 75.1 |