Metric permalink
Zero-hours contracts
Part of the Work and Productivity domain. Share of people in employment whose main job is on a zero-hours contract, UK.
Latest data
Latest reading
Apr-Jun 2026
Change between the two latest observations (Jan-Mar 2026 to Apr-Jun 2026), in stress score.
A higher 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: new observation.
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
95Measured 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
EMP17: People on zero-hours contracts
- Update frequency
- Quarterly
- Reliability
- high
Provenance
- Provider
- Office for National Statistics
- Series ID
- ons_zero_hours
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Accessed
- 25 August 2026
Known weakness
UK Labour Force Survey; early-year rises partly reflect survey awareness, there is a 2019/20 question-wording break, and the LFS has wider data-quality issues since 2023.
Notes
Verified official value from Office for National Statistics (ons_zero_hours), accessed 2026-08-25.
Historical values
History
| Period | Value | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2.5 | |
| 2016 | 2.9 | |
| 2017 | 2.8 | |
| 2018 | 2.5 | |
| 2019 | 2.7 | |
| 2024 | 3.5 | |
| Jul-Sep 2025 | 3.52 | |
| Oct-Dec 2025 | 3.58 | |
| Jan-Mar 2026 | 3.59 | |
| Apr-Jun 2026 | 3.57 |