UK unemployment stands at 4.9% in May-July period

The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom stood at 4.9% during the period covering May through July 2026.

The Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing foreign media outlets.

The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released labor market data for the three-month period from May to July.

According to the report, the country’s unemployment rate was 4.9% during the period. This represents a 0.2 percentage-point increase compared with the same period last year. No change was recorded compared with the previous three-month period.

Regular employee pay rose by 3.5% year on year in May-July, while total pay, including bonuses, increased by 3.9%.

Wages rose by 6.3% in the public sector and by 2.9% in the private sector.

Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics, said the latest figures showed that the labor market was generally moving in a stable direction and that the unemployment rate had remained unchanged.

She said the number of permanent employees continued to decline gradually. The fall recorded over the past year was particularly pronounced in the retail, hotel and restaurant sectors.

McKeown also noted that rising labor costs at small businesses were affecting recruitment decisions.

The ONS regularly publishes employment, unemployment and wage data to track developments in the UK labor market. These indicators are closely monitored because they provide insight into household incomes, business costs and broader economic conditions.