Metric permalink
Economic inactivity rate (16–64)
Part of the Work and Productivity domain. Share of 16–64 year-olds who are neither employed nor actively seeking work, including students, carers and the long-term sick.
Latest data
Latest reading
2025
Change between the two latest observations (2024 to 2025), in stress score.
A higher reading is treated as worse for this indicator.
Score composition
Stress score
Since the September 2026 release
Nothing changed on this indicator between the two releases: no new observation, revision, restatement or source change, and its stress score did not move.
Blended from two measured components: (2/3 weight) and trend (1/3 weight); where no trend can be computed the metric is scored on its level alone. Volatility is published as a diagnostic and does not enter the blend. Full formula on the methodology page.
Level · 2/3 weight
Percentile: this metric is scored against its own history, where today sits between its best and worst recorded years.
Trend · 1/3 weight
Measured from the direction and size of the change between the two most recent readings.
Volatility · diagnostic, not blended
12Measured from how much this indicator has swung period on period across its recorded history.
Data confidence and provenance
Confidence and source
How much weight to put on the reading, the mean data-confidence across the component metrics (source quality, recency and completeness).
Source
Labour market overview
- Update frequency
- Monthly
- Reliability
- medium
Provenance
- Provider
- ONS
- Series ID
- LF2S/LMS
- Frequency
- annual
- Accessed
- 1 October 2026
Known weakness
Inactivity is a heterogeneous category mixing voluntary (study, caring) and involuntary (ill-health) states that have very different policy implications.
Notes
Verified official value from ONS (LF2S/LMS), accessed 2026-10-01.
Historical values
History
| Period | Value | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 23 | |
| 2007 | 23.2 | |
| 2008 | 23 | |
| 2009 | 23.1 | |
| 2010 | 23.5 | |
| 2011 | 23.3 | |
| 2012 | 22.8 | |
| 2013 | 22.4 | |
| 2014 | 22.2 | |
| 2015 | 22.1 | |
| 2016 | 21.8 | |
| 2017 | 21.5 | |
| 2018 | 21.2 | |
| 2019 | 20.8 | |
| 2020 | 21.2 | |
| 2021 | 21.5 | |
| 2022 | 21.9 | |
| 2023 | 21.7 | |
| 2024 | 21.8 | |
| 2025 | 21 |