What is unemployment?
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What is unemployment?
To be classed as unemployed you have to be out of work and actively seeking work.
If you are not in work and don’t want to be in work, maybe because you are retired or because you are looking after a child or loved one, you don’t count as unemployed.
The official definition of ‘unemployed’ is someone who is not in work, has looked for work in the last four weeks and is ready to start work in the next two weeks. It also includes people who are out of work, but have found a job and are waiting to start it in the next two weeks.
How is unemployment measured in the UK?
Unemployment is measured by a survey of 100,000 adults aged 16 and over in 40,000 households in the UK. The survey uses a random sample of addresses.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) then uses the survey results to estimate the total number of people who are unemployed across the UK.
This is separate to the claimant count which measures the number of people claiming benefits because they are ...
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