Labour Force Survey: labour market indicators by age, UK country and English region

Next update expected:21 May 2026

Updates

• 23rd April 2026:

  Monthly update

• 24th March 2026:

  Monthly update

• 19th February 2026:

  Monthly update

• 22nd January 2026:

  Monthly update

• 18th December 2025:

  Monthly update

• 14th October 2025: Dataset first published.

Main information

• Designation: Official statistics in development
• Data provider: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
• Data source: Labour Force Survey (LFS)
• Time period covered: March 1992 to February 2026

Overview

• Summary of dataset and variables:

  These data are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The data are seasonally adjusted and are updated each month to give a time series of three month averages up to and including the latest three month period for the UK and each UK country and English region.

• Data collection or calculation:

  Key data on the labour market is updated every month showing the position for the latest three months, for the UK and each of the UK countries and English regions. Note these data are seasonally adjusted and also that no sub-regional (i.e. local authority) data are published by the ONS to a monthly timetable.

  The population can be broken down into economically active and economically inactive populations. The economically active population is made up of persons in employment, and persons unemployed according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition.

  Although each measure is available for different population bases, there is an official standard population base used for each of the measures, as follows.

  Population aged 16 and over: Economic activity level, Employment level, ILO unemployment level

  Population aged 16-64: Economic inactivity level

  16-64 population is used as the base for economic inactivity. By excluding persons of pensionable age who are generally retired and therefore economically inactive, this gives a more appropriate measure of workforce inactivity.

  Rates for each of the above measures are also calculated in a standard manner and are available in the dataset. With the exception of the ILO unemployment rate, each rate is defined in terms of the shares of population that fall into each category. The ILO unemployment rate is defined as ILO unemployed persons as a percentage of the economically active population.

  Although each rate is available for the different population bases, there is an official standard population base used for each of the rates, as follows.

  Percentage of population aged 16-64: Economic activity, Employment, Economic inactivity

  Percentage of economically active population aged 16 and over: ILO unemployment

• Statistical quality:

  All this information comes from the LFS, carried out by the ONS. As the data come from a survey, the results are sample-based estimates and therefore subject to differing degrees of sampling variability, i.e. the true value for any measure lies in a differing range about the estimated value. This range or sampling variability increases as the detail in the data increases, for example regional data are subject to higher variability than UK data.

  Note that the ILO unemployment measure differs from another commonly used measure of unemployment, namely the claimant count. The latter is a count of all those claiming unemployment benefit, and as such it is not subject to sampling variability. However, it excludes those who are unemployed who are not eligible to claim (for example those out of work but whose partner works), and those who do not wish to claim.

  The ILO measure, which is a count of those who are out of work and want a job, have actively sought work in the last 4 weeks and are available to start work in the next two weeks; plus those who are out of work, have found a job and are waiting to start in the next 2 weeks, is a more encompassing measure of unemployment, which is used around the world.

  Due to the current data quality concerns with the LFS, labour market estimates for Wales should be considered alongside estimates and trends from other data sources. Breakdowns by sex have been temporarily removed from the Labour Market Overview bulletin due to these data quality concerns.

  We are continuing to monitor the performance and reliability of the LFS, and plan to reintroduce these estimates to the bulletin at a time when they provide a more accurate picture of the labour market in Wales.

• Rounding applied:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and so there may be some apparent slight discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and the totals as shown.

• Related reports:
  • Labour market overview

Published by

• Organisation: Welsh Government
• Contact email: labourmarket.stats@gov.wales