Domesday Live

Why are so many people not working?

Unemployment is low, but about one in five working-age people are neither working nor looking for work. The biggest group are those who say they are long-term sick or disabled, which rose sharply after the pandemic. Students, carers and early retirees make up the rest.

Why it happens

• Long-term sickness. The number of working-age people out of work with long-term illness has risen by well over half a million since 2019 (see below). Mental health problems and long NHS waits are often cited.
• Unemployment and inactivity are different. Someone who is not looking for work is not counted as unemployed. So the unemployment rate can be low while many are out of the workforce.
• Other reasons. Students, those caring for family, and early retirees, whose numbers fell during the pandemic, are also counted as inactive.
• Local differences. Inactivity is higher in the north of England, Wales and parts of Scotland, where jobs are scarcer and ill health is more common.