GeraJobs / Gera Employment Index / London
London — Employment & Unemployment Rate
London's labour market in real ONS figures, ranked #11 of 12 UK regions by the Gera Employment Index (96.8, UK = 100).
What is the unemployment rate in London, and how does it compare to the UK?
As of December 2025 to February 2026 (ONS, published 21 April 2026), London has an employment rate of 74.3%, an unemployment rate of 7.4% and an economic inactivity rate of 19.7% — a Gera Employment Index of 96.8 (UK = 100), below the UK. Real ONS rates under OGL v3.0; GeraJobs re-dates monthly.
Gera Employment Index
London's labour-market health vs the UK (rank #11 of 12). Below the UK average.
How this is calculatedLondon labour-market indicators vs the UK
| Indicator | London | UK | vs UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate (16–64) | 74.3% | 75.0% | −0.7pp |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.4% | 4.9% | +2.5pp |
| Economic inactivity (16–64) | 19.7% | 21.0% | −1.3pp |
ONS, seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026. Gera Employment Index = 100 + employment surplus (−0.7pp) − unemployment gap (+2.5pp).
Compare any UK region's labour market
Pick a region to see its real ONS employment, unemployment and economic inactivity rates against the UK average, with its Gera Employment Index.
| Indicator | London | UK | vs UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate (16–64) | 74.3% | 75.0% | −0.7pp |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.4% | 4.9% | +2.5pp |
| Economic inactivity (16–64) | 19.7% | 21.0% | −1.3pp |
The Gera Employment Index for London is 96.8 (UK = 100) — a weaker-than-UK labour market. That is 100 −0.7pp employment surplus minus +2.5pp unemployment gap.
Browse live jobs in LondonLondon labour market — FAQ
- What is the unemployment rate in London?
- The unemployment rate in London is 7.4% (aged 16+, seasonally adjusted), compared to the UK average of 4.9% — a gap of +2.5pp. This is a real ONS figure for December 2025 to February 2026, not an estimate.
- What is the employment rate in London?
- The employment rate in London is 74.3% (aged 16–64, seasonally adjusted), against a UK average of 75.0% — −0.7pp versus the UK. The economic inactivity rate is 19.7%.
- What is the Gera Employment Index for London?
- The Gera Employment Index for London is 96.8 (UK = 100), meaning its labour market is below the UK. It is computed as 100 plus the employment surplus (−0.7pp) minus the unemployment gap (+2.5pp), both real ONS percentage points.
- Is the London labour-market figure real ONS data?
- Yes. The London rates are taken directly from the ONS "Labour market in the regions of the UK: April 2026" bulletin (Table 1, seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026, OGL v3.0). No figure is modelled or interpolated.
How the Gera Employment Index is calculated
The index starts at 100 (the UK average), adds London's employment-rate advantage over the UK (−0.7pp) and subtracts its unemployment-rate disadvantage (+2.5pp), giving 96.8 (UK = 100). Every input is a real published ONS estimate (Table 1 — headline Labour Force Survey indicators (seasonally adjusted), December 2025 to February 2026); nothing is modelled or interpolated. See all UK regions ranked.
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Related on GeraJobs
Source: ONS Labour market in the regions of the UK: April 2026, Table 1 — headline Labour Force Survey indicators (seasonally adjusted). Figures are seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026 reference period, released 21 April 2026. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The Gera Employment Index is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.