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UK cities

Unemployment rates for population aged 16 or over, selected UK cities, 2004-2023
Chart showing unemployment rates in UK cities from 2004 to 2023.Unemployment rates rose across all of the selected UK cities from 2008 to 2012 and since then has reduced across in all cities. Glasgow's unemployment rate was mid-ranking relative to other UK cities for most of the time period shown (2004-2023). Most of the cities shown had higher rates of unemployment than the UK average. 

The highest rate shown on this chart was 15.6%, in Birmingham in 2012. In 2023, Birmingham had the second highest rate shown (8%), and Liverpool had the highest (8.6%). The lowest rate in 2023 was in Newcastle (2.3%). 

Notes

These unemployment estimates are model-based and subject to sampling variability. The unemployment rate shown is the unemployment count as a percentage of the economically-active population aged 16+.

The unemployment count included all people aged 16+ without a job who were available to start work in the two weeks following their interview and who had either looked for work in the four weeks prior to interview or were waiting to start a job they had already obtained.

This page was updated in February 2025. 

Further reading under ‘Unemployment’