This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from UK statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from UK statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other UK-specific metadata information.
| Indicator available | Unemployment rate by age |
|---|---|
| Indicator description | The unemployment rate is a useful measure of the underutilization of the labour supply. It reflects the inability of an economy to generate employment for those persons who want to work but are not doing so, even though they are available for employment and actively seeking work. It is thus seen as an indicator of the efficiency and effectiveness of an economy to absorb its labour force and of the performance of the labour market. Short-term time series of the unemployment rate can be used to signal changes in the business cycle; upward movements in the indicator often coincide with recessionary periods or in some cases with the beginning of an expansionary period as persons previously not in the labour market begin to test conditions through an active job search. |
| Geographical coverage | UK |
| Unit of measurement | Percentage of economically active people that were unemployed |
| Definitions | Persons in unemployment are defined as all those of working age (usually persons aged 15 and above) who were not in employment, carried out activities to seek employment during a specified recent period and were currently available to take up employment given a job opportunity. Persons in employment are defined as all those of working age (usually persons aged 15 and above) who, during a short reference period, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit. The labour force corresponds to the sum of persons in employment and in unemployment. |
| Calculations | (Unemployed persons / Persons in labour force) * 100 |
| Other information | The figures for unemployment and economically active individuals are measured for the ages 16 and above |
| Data last updated | 2018-04-04: see changes on GitHub opens in a new window |
| Metadata last updated | 2018-05-31: see changes on GitHub opens in a new window |