UK Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.4% in December 2024

The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom rose to 4.4% in December 2024, Anadolu Agency reported citing recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This marks an increase from the previous rate of 4.3% reported on a quarterly basis.

As of December, the number of unemployed individuals reached 1.56 million. In contrast, the employment rate showed a slight improvement, reaching 74.9%, while the economic inactivity rate stood at 21.5%. The total number of employed persons in the UK was recorded at 33.85 million.

The ONS highlighted that after a prolonged decline in the unemployment rate since late 2013, the figures began to rise during the pandemic. Following a decrease that brought the rate below pre-coronavirus levels in mid-2022, the unemployment rate has been on an upward trend. It was reported at 3.6% in mid-2022, increased to 3.9% in December 2023, and reached 4.1% at the start of 2024.