The number of people in work in the United Kingdom rose by 83,000 to 34.469 million in the three months to June 2026, following an increase of 147,000 in the previous quarter. This was the smallest rise since February, as a fall in part-time employment partially offset continued growth in full-time jobs.
On an annual basis, employment was up by 253,000, driven by gains among full-time employees and part-time self-employed workers. The employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 was 75.1%, in line with the broadly stable pattern seen since mid‑2024, while the rate for people aged 65 and over was 13.3%.
By gender, the employment rate remained higher for men, at 64.2%, compared with 57.4% for women. Over the quarter, the number of people holding a second job increased to 1.293 million, accounting for 3.7% of total employment.
