South East England unemployment rate: aged 16 to 64
South East England unemployment rate: aged 16 to 64 stood at 3.6% in Mar 2026, according to Nomis — official labour market statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Labour market structure table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Dec 2004 to Mar 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Labour market structure table
| Indicator | 03-2026 | 12-2025 | 09-2025 | 06-2025 | 03-2025 | 12-2024 | 09-2024 | 06-2024 | 03-2024 | 12-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate, aged 16 to 64 | |||||||||||
| South East | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3 | |
| South West | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
Understanding south East England unemployment rate: aged 16 to 64
This metric calculates the percentage of the active labour force aged sixteen to sixty-four living in South East England who are unemployed, capturing individuals without paid work who are available for employment and actively seeking a position. Derived from household survey operations covering the United Kingdom, the series isolates this expansive economic territory to allow distinct regional evaluation. It separates job seekers from those engaged in employment or categorised as economically inactive.
When evaluating these figures, analysts must account for sampling volatility inherent in regional cuts of national surveys. Period-on-period comparisons can be noisy, making rolling averages or twelve-month comparisons preferable for identifying genuine trend shifts. Revisions to population estimates following census rebasing exercises can cause step changes in the series, meaning users should verify whether back-series have been adjusted for consistency.
Frequently asked questions
- What distinguishes this regional unemployment rate from the national headline figure?
- This rate restricts its scope exclusively to residents of South East England, whereas the national figure aggregates all regions across the United Kingdom.
- Why are rolling averages recommended over single-month data points for this series?
- Regional sample sizes are smaller than the national total, generating month-to-month volatility that rolling averages help smooth.
- Does this series include individuals who have retired early?
- Early retirees are excluded from the active labour force and therefore from the unemployment rate denominator, provided they are not seeking work.