Unemployment
Published
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- 1. Navigate toMain facts and figures section
- 2. Navigate toThings you need to know section
- 3. Navigate to By ethnicity section
- 4. Navigate to By ethnicity over time section
- 5. Navigate to By ethnicity and gender section
- 6. Navigate to By ethnicity (white and other ethnic groups) section
- 7. Navigate to By ethnicity and age (white and other ethnic groups) section
- 8. Navigate to By ethnicity over time (16 to 24 year olds only, white and other ethnic groups) section
- 9. Navigate to By ethnicity and area (white and other ethnic groups) section
- 10. Navigate toData sources section
- 11. Navigate toDownload the data section
1. Main facts and figures
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4% of white people were unemployed in 2021, compared with 8% of people from all other ethnic groups combined
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people from the Bangladeshi and Pakistani (11%), mixed (10%) and black (9%) ethnic groups had the highest unemployment rate out of all ethnic groups
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white people and people from the Indian ethnic group had the lowest unemployment rates out of all ethnic groups (4%)
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in every region of England and Scotland, unemployment rates were lower for white people than for all other ethnic groups combined – the biggest differences were in the West Midlands, the North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber
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in Wales, unemployment rates were the same for white people and people in all other ethnic groups combined (4%)
2. Things you need to know
What the data measures
The data measures the number and percentage of people in England, Scotland and Wales who are unemployed. Percentages are worked out using the economically active population (people aged 16 and over who are employed or unemployed).
Someone is classed as unemployed if they:
- are out of work
- are available to start work in the next 2 weeks
- have either been looking for work in the past 4 weeks or have found a job and are waiting to start
Percentages are rounded to whole numbers.
Not included in the data
The data does not include estimates based on fewer than:
- 30 survey respondents for data covering all ethnic groups together
- 100 survey respondents for data broken down by ethnicity
This is to protect people’s confidentiality and because the numbers involved are too small to make reliable generalisations.
The ethnic groups used in the data
The data uses the ethnic categories from the 2011 Census.
Data is aggregated for the black, mixed and ‘other’ ethnic groups, which means estimates are shown for these groups as a whole.
Data is shown separately for white British people and all other white people (‘white other’ ethnic group). Separate figures are also shown for 3 different Asian ethnic groups (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi combined, and Asian ‘other’).
Some data is shown only for 2 ethnic groups:
- white – all white ethnic groups, including white minorities
- all other ethnic groups
This is to make sure that estimates are reliable.
People whose ethnicity is not known are included in the figures for ‘All’.
Methodology
Read the detailed methodology document for this data.
The Annual Population Survey updated its ethnicity questions in 2011. As a result, estimates from before and after 2011 may not be consistent, and data for individual ethnic groups in 2011 is not available.
The figures on this page are based on survey data. Find out more about:
- interpreting survey data, including how reliability is affected by the number of people surveyed
- how weighting is used to make survey data more representative of the whole group being studied
In the data file
See Download the data for estimates:
- by region, age group and sex over time for detailed ethnic groups
- by local authority for white and all other ethnic groups combined
- confidence intervals for each ethnic group – read about how we use confidence intervals
- sample sizes
- estimates rounded to 1 decimal place
3. By ethnicity
| Ethnicity | % | Number of people unemployed |
|---|---|---|
| All | 4 | 1,450,200 |
| Asian | 7 | 166,600 |
| Indian | 4 | 45,100 |
| Pakistani, Bangladeshi | 11 | 76,600 |
| Asian Other | 7 | 45,000 |
| Black | 9 | 102,200 |
| Mixed | 10 | 50,100 |
| White | 4 | 1,086,500 |
| White British | 4 | 991,200 |
| White Other | 4 | 95,300 |
| Other | 8 | 43,500 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity’ (CSV)
Summary of Unemployment By ethnicity Summary
The data shows that:
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in 2021, 4% of the economically active population (all people aged 16 and over who were employed or unemployed) were unemployed – just under 1.5 million people
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11% of people in the combined Bangladeshi and Pakistani ethnic group were unemployed – the highest rate out of all ethnic groups
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4% of white people and people from the Indian ethnic group were unemployed – the lowest rates of all ethnic groups
4. By ethnicity over time
| Ethnicity | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| All | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Asian | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | not collected | 12 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Indian | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | not collected | 10 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Pakistani, Bangladeshi | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | not collected | 17 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Asian Other | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | not collected | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| Black | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 16 | not collected | 17 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 9 |
| Mixed | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | not collected | 16 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| White | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | not collected | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| White British | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | not collected | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| White Other | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | not collected | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Other | 11 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | not collected | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity over time’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity over time’ (CSV)
Summary of Unemployment By ethnicity over time Summary
The data shows that:
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in every ethnic group except the white British group, the unemployment rate was lower in 2021 than it was in 2004 – in the white British group, the rate was the same
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the unemployment rate for black people was more than 3 percentage points lower in 2021 than in 2004 – the largest decrease over the period
5. By ethnicity and gender
| All | Men | Women | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | All % | All Number of people unemployed | Men % | Men Number of people unemployed | Women % | Women Number of people unemployed |
| All | 4 | 1,450,200 | 5 | 789,000 | 4 | 661,200 |
| Asian | 7 | 166,600 | 7 | 88,700 | 8 | 77,900 |
| Indian | 4 | 45,100 | 4 | 22,200 | 5 | 22,800 |
| Pakistani, Bangladeshi | 11 | 76,600 | 10 | 44,800 | 12 | 31,800 |
| Asian Other | 7 | 45,000 | 7 | 21,700 | 7 | 23,300 |
| Black | 9 | 102,200 | 8 | 39,000 | 11 | 63,100 |
| Mixed | 10 | 50,100 | 10 | 25,100 | 10 | 25,000 |
| White | 4 | 1,086,500 | 4 | 615,600 | 4 | 470,900 |
| White British | 4 | 991,200 | 4 | 570,400 | 4 | 420,800 |
| White Other | 4 | 95,300 | 4 | 45,200 | 4 | 50,100 |
| Other | 8 | 43,500 | 7 | 19,700 | 10 | 23,800 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and gender’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and gender’ (CSV)
Summary of Unemployment By ethnicity and gender Summary
The data shows that:
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in 2021, the unemployment rates for the ‘other’, black and combined Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic groups were higher for women than men
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white women (4%) were less likely to be unemployed than women from all other ethnic groups combined (9%) – download the data to see these figures
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white men (4%) were less likely to be unemployed than men from all other ethnic groups combined (7%) – download the data to see these figures
6. By ethnicity (white and other ethnic groups)
| Ethnicity | % | Number of people unemployed |
|---|---|---|
| All | 4 | 1,450,200 |
| Other Ethnic Groups | 8 | 362,400 |
| White | 4 | 1,086,500 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity (white and other ethnic groups)’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity (white and other ethnic groups)’ (CSV)
Summary of Unemployment By ethnicity (white and other ethnic groups) Summary
The data shows that:
- in 2021, 4% of white people were unemployed, compared with 8% of people from all other ethnic groups combined
7. By ethnicity and age (white and other ethnic groups)
| All | Other Ethnic Groups | White | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | All % | All Number of people unemployed | Other Ethnic Groups % | Other Ethnic Groups Number of people unemployed | White % | White Number of people unemployed |
| 16-24 | 13 | 490,000 | 22 | 123,900 | 11 | 366,000 |
| 25-49 | 3 | 619,000 | 6 | 180,900 | 3 | 436,900 |
| 50-64 | 3 | 316,700 | 6 | 53,200 | 3 | 263,500 |
| 65+ | 2 | 24,500 | 6 | 4,500 | 2 | 20,000 |
| All | 4 | 1,450,200 | 8 | 362,400 | 4 | 1,086,500 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and age (white and other ethnic groups)’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and age (white and other ethnic groups)’ (CSV)
Summary of Unemployment By ethnicity and age (white and other ethnic groups) Summary
The data shows that:
-
in every age group, white people had a lower unemployment rate than people from all other ethnic groups combined
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16 to 24 year olds were more likely to be unemployed than any other age group, both for white people and all other ethnic groups combined
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among 16 to 24 year olds, 11% of white people were unemployed, compared with 22% of people from all other ethnic groups combined – the largest gap of any age group
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white people also had lower unemployment rates than people from all other ethnic groups combined among 25 to 49 year olds (3% and 6%), 50 to 64 year olds (3% and 6%) and over 65s (2% and 6%)
8. By ethnicity over time (16 to 24 year olds only, white and other ethnic groups)
| All | Other Ethnic Groups | White | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | All % | All Number of people unemployed | Other Ethnic Groups % | Other Ethnic Groups Number of people unemployed | White % | White Number of people unemployed |
| 2004 | 12 | 553,800 | 24 | 103,800 | 11 | 449,000 |
| 2005 | 13 | 591,300 | 23 | 100,800 | 12 | 489,800 |
| 2006 | 14 | 637,900 | 23 | 109,400 | 13 | 527,700 |
| 2007 | 14 | 638,900 | 24 | 109,300 | 13 | 529,000 |
| 2008 | 15 | 700,200 | 26 | 127,400 | 14 | 572,400 |
| 2009 | 19 | 862,000 | 29 | 135,500 | 18 | 725,100 |
| 2010 | 20 | 862,400 | 31 | 140,800 | 18 | 721,100 |
| 2011 | 21 | 960,200 | not collected | not collected | not collected | not collected |
| 2012 | 21 | 946,200 | 33 | 167,500 | 20 | 778,400 |
| 2013 | 20 | 894,200 | 35 | 182,300 | 18 | 711,500 |
| 2014 | 17 | 742,100 | 27 | 135,100 | 16 | 605,000 |
| 2015 | 14 | 629,600 | 24 | 126,000 | 13 | 503,700 |
| 2016 | 13 | 569,600 | 23 | 119,100 | 12 | 450,500 |
| 2017 | 12 | 515,200 | 20 | 104,400 | 11 | 410,100 |
| 2018 | 12 | 486,100 | 18 | 101,700 | 11 | 384,300 |
| 2019 | 11 | 468,300 | 19 | 103,500 | 10 | 364,800 |
| 2020 | 14 | 555,900 | 24 | 124,500 | 12 | 431,400 |
| 2021 | 13 | 490,000 | 22 | 123,900 | 11 | 366,000 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity over time (16 to 24 year olds only, white and other ethnic groups)’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity over time (16 to 24 year olds only, white and other ethnic groups)’ (CSV)
Summary of Unemployment By ethnicity over time (16 to 24 year olds only, white and other ethnic groups) Summary
The data shows that:
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in every year between 2004 and 2021, white people aged 16 to 24 had a lower unemployment rate than people from all other ethnic groups combined
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2013 saw the biggest difference in the rate between white 16 to 24 year olds and those from all other ethnic groups combined (17 percentage points) – by 2019, the gap had gone down to 11 percentage points
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between 2020 and 2021, the unemployment rate for white 16 to 24 year olds went down from 12% to 11% – the rate for 16 to 24 year olds from all other ethnic groups combined went down from 24% to 22%
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in the period covered by this data, the highest unemployment rate for white 16 to 24 year olds was 20% (in 2012)
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the highest unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year olds from all other ethnic groups combined was 35% (in 2013)
9. By ethnicity and area (white and other ethnic groups)
| All | Other Ethnic Groups | White | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | All % | All Number of people unemployed | Other Ethnic Groups % | Other Ethnic Groups Number of people unemployed | White % | White Number of people unemployed |
| All | 4 | 1,450,200 | 8 | 362,400 | 4 | 1,086,500 |
| East Midlands | 4 | 104,700 | 8 | 22,300 | 4 | 82,300 |
| East Of England | 4 | 120,900 | 6 | 21,200 | 4 | 99,600 |
| London | 6 | 283,200 | 8 | 140,000 | 5 | 142,100 |
| North East | 6 | 74,600 | 11 | 6,500 | 6 | 68,200 |
| North West | 5 | 163,100 | 9 | 31,600 | 4 | 131,600 |
| Scotland | 4 | 105,100 | 6 | 7,900 | 4 | 97,200 |
| South East | 4 | 179,100 | 6 | 31,200 | 4 | 147,900 |
| South West | 3 | 91,200 | 5 | 8,200 | 3 | 82,800 |
| Wales | 4 | 62,900 | 11 | 7,600 | 4 | 55,400 |
| West Midlands | 5 | 145,300 | 10 | 53,100 | 4 | 92,200 |
| Yorkshire And The Humber | 5 | 120,000 | 12 | 32,900 | 4 | 87,100 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and area (white and other ethnic groups)’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and area (white and other ethnic groups)’ (CSV)
Summary of Unemployment By ethnicity and area (white and other ethnic groups) Summary
The data shows that:
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in almost all regions, white people were less likely to be unemployed than people from all other ethnic groups combined
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the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Wales had the largest unemployment rate gaps between white people and all other ethnic groups combined (all 6 percentage points or more)
10. Data sources
Source
Type of data
Survey data
Type of statistic
National Statistics
Publisher
Office for National Statistics
Note on corrections or updates
Higher-level figures may differ from those published by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Office for National Statistics that use the Labour Force Survey.
Publication frequency
Yearly
Purpose of data source
The Annual Population Survey (APS) is the largest ongoing household survey in the UK and covers a range of topics, including:
- personal characteristics
- labour market status
- work characteristics
- education
- health
The purpose of the APS is to provide information on important social and socio-economic variables at local levels, such as labour market estimates.
The published statistics also allow the government to monitor estimates on a range of issues between censuses.
11. Download the data
This file contains the following: measure, ethnicity, year, sex, age group, region, value, confidence interval, numerator, denominator, sample size
This file contains the following: measure, ethnicity, year, local authority, value, confidence interval, numerator, denominator, sample size