Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights July 2026

Question 1

1. Main stories

Accepted Answer

Here are the main headlines from the publication:

in March 2026, the overall into-work rate for customers in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime in Great Britain was 7.2%
there is variation in into-work rates across Great Britain, with higher rates often found in more rural local authorities
into-work rates are higher for customers who have been in the ‘Searching for work’ regime for up to 3 months, at 16.4%. For customers who have been in the ‘Searching for work’ regime for one year and over, it is 2.9%
in March 2026, 42% of those out of work in the ‘Searching for work’ regime had been in this conditionality regime for one year or more
into-work rates tend to be lower for older customers in the ‘Searching for work’ regime. In March 2026, the into-work rate for those aged 50 and above was 5.6%. The highest rate was for those aged 25 to 39, at 7.9%
in March 2026 the 3-month sustained employment rate was 68%. The 6-month sustained employment rate was 55.1%. These measures capture what percentage of customers in the ‘Searching for work’, ‘Working – with requirements’ and ‘Working – no requirements’ regimes found work 3 or 6 months prior to March 2026 have been in employment in each of these months
the proportion of ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime customers who have at least 6 consecutive months of no earnings (the worklessness rate) was 56.6% in March 2026
England has considerable variation in NEET rates

Question 2

2. What you need to know

Accepted Answer

Universal Credit

Universal Credit (UC) is a single, usually monthly payment, administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is the primary working-age benefit.

UC customers may be required to do certain work-related activities to receive UC. These activities depend on which of the 6 conditionality regimes the customer is placed in^{[footnote 1]}. Each person will be assigned one of 6 conditionality regimes, based on their assessed capability and circumstances. These 6 conditionality regimes are:

1. Searching for work

2. Working - with requirements

3. No work requirements

4. Working - no requirements

5. Planning for work

6. Preparing for work

For more information on the definition of UC and the conditionality regimes please see the glossary section of the accompanying Background Information and Methodology paper.

Statistics about the people on UC, including their conditionality regime are also published on Stat Xplore monthly.

Most of the analysis in this publication focuses on the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime. This conditionality regime is for customers who are not working or working with low earnings. In this regime a customer is required to take action to secure work - or more or better paid work if they already have a job.

Into-work rate

The into-work rate is defined as the proportion of UC ‘Searching for work’ regime customers who have earnings in one assessment period who did not have earnings in the preceding assessment period.

Given this definition, the rate could miss some movements out of, and back into, work which happens within the time of 2 assessment periods if earnings are present in both. Higher into-work rates do not always correspond with a higher number of people moving into work. For example, if the same number of people start work in 2 different months, the into-work rate will be lower in the month with more people looking for work.

The amount of UC someone is eligible for is calculated based on their circumstances each month. These are called ‘assessment periods’. A customer’s UC payment is based on their circumstances in the previous assessment period, and their first assessment period starts on the day they make a claim. Assessment periods are monthly and begin on the same day each month.

Sustained employment rate

The 3-month (and 6-month) sustained employment rate is defined as the proportion of UC ‘Searching for work’, ‘Working - with requirements’ and ‘Working - no requirements’ conditionality regime customers who started earning in a given assessment period and who have continued to earn for each of the following 2 (or 5) assessment periods. This means that they will have sustained earnings for 3 (or 6) months – and therefore sustained employment.

Measure of worklessness amongst UC ‘Searching for work’ customers

The worklessness rate is defined as the proportion of UC ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime customers in a given assessment period, who have had at least 6 consecutive months of no earnings and been in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime for at least 6 consecutive months. Individuals can count towards the indicator in multiple assessment periods, if worklessness continues or reappears. Each assessment period without earnings is a base month that the individual can be included in the indicator.

Not in education, employment or training

People are considered to be in education or training if they are enrolled on an education course and are still attending or waiting for term to start or restart; are doing an apprenticeship; are on a government-supported employment or training programme; are working or studying towards a qualification; have had job-related training or education in the last 4 weeks. People not in education, employment or training (NEET) is anybody who is not in any of the forms of education or training listed above and not in employment. As a result, a person identified as NEET will always be either unemployed or economically inactive.

Young people who are NEET meet this definition and are aged 16 to 24 years.

The methodology behind constructing the estimates of young people who are NEET by region has been altered meaning that, although the change is minor and the figures are similar, the regional NEET figures published in this publication cannot be compared with similar figures in the Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights January 2026 and the Get Britain Working White Paper Analytical Annex. The updated time series can be found in the accompanying data tables. The regional NEET figures in this publication supersede those in January 2026’s publication. This methodology change is to align with the methodology behind the UK NEET statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which is explained in the Background Information and Methodology paper accompanying this publication.

Question 3

3a. The into-work rate

Accepted Answer

The following statistics focus on customers in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime. For customers in this regime who are out of work, we monitor proportions of customers who move into work. This is referred to as the ‘into-work rate’.

UC is not just a benefit for those who are out of work; it is also for those who are working, but whose earnings are low enough to qualify. Someone may move into work and remain on UC.

In March 2026, the overall into-work rate for customers in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime in Great Britain was 7.2%.

There is seasonality of into-work rates with lowest rates often seen at the start of the year, and highest rates in April and October

Figure 1: Monthly into-work rates, Great Britain, January 2019 to March 2026

The into-work rate is influenced by the time of year. When comparing into-work rates, it is important to compare the same month across years due to this seasonality. Rates are generally lower in January and February, and the highest rates are seen in April and October, with a fall in rates over the summer. These seasonal trends are highlighted in Figure 1.

Figure 1 also shows the fall in the proportion of customers moving into work in more recent years. Given that into-work rates in 2020 and 2021 were heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the into-work rates for these years are represented in grey.

Question 4

3b. Into-work rate by local authority and Jobcentre Plus district

Accepted Answer

Note that the data tables published alongside this publication include a longer time series of into-work rates by local authority and Jobcentre Plus district (from 2019).

There is variation in into-work rates across Britain with higher rates often found in more rural local authorities

Figure 2: Monthly average into-work rate by local authority, Great Britain, April 2025 to March 2026

From April 2025 to March 2026, around a quarter of local authorities had an average monthly into-work rate of 9% or higher. The local authorities with the highest average monthly into-work rate were Boston (12%), Test Valley (11.3%), North Yorkshire (11.1%) and Cotswold (11%). In contrast, Birmingham and Bradford had the lowest average into-work rate over this period (5.1% and 5.4% respectively).

There is variation in into-work rates between Jobcentre Plus districts with higher rates often found in districts predominantly made up of rural areas

Figure 3: Monthly average into-work rate by Jobcentre Plus district, Great Britain, April 2025 to March 2026

Over the 12 months from April 2025 to March 2026, 24 of the 35 Jobcentre Plus districts had an average monthly into-work rate in the range 7% to 9%. The districts with the highest average monthly into-work rate were North East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (9.7%), Norfolk and Suffolk (9.2%) and Devon and Cornwall (9.1%). In contrast, Birmingham and Solihull had the lowest average into-work rate over this period (5.2%).

Question 5

3c. Into-work rate by duration on Universal Credit

Accepted Answer

Understanding the relationship between characteristics and into-work rates can be helpful in contextualising changes to the overall into-work rate, particularly where the composition of characteristic groups has changed. If characteristics associated with lower into-work rates become more prevalent, then this could help explain why the overall into-work rate has decreased over time.

Into-work rates are higher for customers who have been in the ‘Searching for work’ regime for up to 3 months

Figure 4: Monthly into-work rates by duration in the ‘Searching for work’ regime, UK, January 2019 to March 2026

Figure 4 shows how into-work rates are higher for customers who have newly joined the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime compared to those who have been in this regime for longer. While these customers are new to the ‘Searching for work’ regime, they may not be new customers of UC. They may have moved from other UC conditionality regimes following a change in their circumstances.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is also reflected in this graph. There is a significant reduction in into-work rates in mid-2020 followed by sizeable increases in the summer of 2021, across all durations in ‘Searching for work’. These elevated into-work rates persisted through late 2021 and into 2022 but are now more aligned with pre-COVID-19 pandemic trends. Into-work rates are lowest for those in the ‘1 year or over’ group.

Proportions of customers who have spent one year or more in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime are significantly higher than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Figure 5: Proportion of ‘Searching for work’ caseload, restricted to those out of work, by duration in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime, Great Britain, January 2019 to March 2026

In March 2026, 42% of those out of work in ‘Searching for work’ had been in this conditionality regime for one year or more. 18% had spent fewer than 3 months in this regime. Since 2019, there has been a considerable change in the time that customers spend in the ‘Searching for work’ regime.

Figure 5 highlights the proportions of groupings of customers based on their duration in ‘Searching for work’, restricted to those out of work at each specific month. This shows a considerable shift in the composition of the group because of the first COVID-19 lockdown. There is a spike in customers with a duration of fewer than 3 months between April and June 2020 (the impact of the first national lockdown). This increase led to staggered increases in the ‘3 up to 6 months’, ‘6 up to 12 months’, and ‘1 year or over’ groups’ proportions of the caseload in subsequent months.

The share of the caseload with a duration of ‘1 year or over’ has fallen overall since its highest point in November 2021, although it increased across 2025. While there have been some decreases to the ‘1 year or over’ group, the proportion of customers in this group remains significantly higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

More recently, the number of customers in the ‘up to 3 months’ group has decreased. This, in addition to the fact that the number of customers in the other duration groups have increased, has led to a reduction in the proportion of customers in the ‘up to 3 months’ duration group. As the ‘up to 3 months’ group has consistently had higher into-work rates than other duration groups, the reduction in the proportion of customers in this group could lead to a comparative reduction in the overall into-work rate, all else equal.

Question 6

3d. Into-work rate by age of Universal Credit customer

Accepted Answer

Into-work rates are lowest for customers aged 50 and over, and higher for younger customers

Figure 6: Monthly into-work rates by age group of customers in the ‘Searching for work’ regime, Great Britain, January 2019 to March 2026

Figure 6 shows how into-work rates are generally highest for younger customers, particularly those aged under 25, and lowest for people aged 50 and over. However, in February and March 2026 those aged 25 to 39 had the highest into-work rates, a pattern which can also be seen in previous years. Figure 6 also shows how into-work rates were particularly high for young people following the COVID-19 pandemic, especially between July 2021 and July 2022. Rates have reduced since then and are lower now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic both for those aged under 25 and those aged 25 to 39. People aged over 50 have seen less variation in into-work rates over the post-pandemic period, but into-work rates for this age group remain low.

Those aged 25 to 39 make up the largest proportion of the out of work in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime

Figure 7: Proportion of ‘Searching for work’ caseload, restricted to those out of work, by age group, Great Britain, January 2019 to March 2026

In March 2026, 37% of the customers in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime were aged 25 to 39, the largest age group proportion. Age group proportions have been relatively stable in the conditionality regime. However, the summer of 2020 saw an increase in the proportion of customers aged under 25. This was because of the first COVID-19 lockdown which reduced hiring by employers, which disproportionately affects young people. This proportion decreased over 2021 but has been gradually increasing since late 2022. In March 2026, 25% of ‘Searching for work’ customers were under 25.

More recently the proportion in the 25 to 39 group has decreased. This decrease is not due to changes in the size of this group but rather increases across other age groups over this period. As the 2 age groups for those aged over 40 have the lowest into-work rates, changes in the proportions of these groups will influence the overall into-work rate.

Question 7

4. Sustained employment of Universal Credit customers

Accepted Answer

The focus of the sustained employment rate is on ‘Searching for work’, ‘Working – with requirements’ and ‘Working – no requirements’ conditionality regime customers, who have started to earn and who have managed to immediately sustain earnings.

The proportion of customers who move into work who sustain employment for at least 3 months (the 3-month sustained employment rate) fluctuates around 70%

Figure 8: 3-month sustained employment rate, Great Britain, January 2019 to March 2026

Figure 8 shows the 3-month sustained employment rate has marginally increased in recent years. In March 2026 the 3-month sustained employment rate was 68%. This means, of those who started working 3 months prior (in January 2026), 68% remained in work throughout February and March 2026, and so sustained employment for 3 months.

The proportion of customers who move into work who sustain employment for at least 6 months (the 6-month sustained employment rate) fluctuates around 50%

Figure 9: 6-month sustained employment rate, Great Britain, January 2019 to March 2026

Figure 9 shows the 6-month sustained employment rate has marginally increased in recent years. In March 2026 the 6-month sustained employment rate was 55.1%. This means, of those who started working 6 months prior (in October 2025), 55.1% remained in work for all months between October 2025 and March 2026, and so sustained employment for 6 months.

Question 8

5. Measure of worklessness of Universal Credit customers

Accepted Answer

The focus of the worklessness rate is on customers in the UC ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime who have at least 6 consecutive months of no earnings.

The proportion of ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime customers who have at least 6 consecutive months of no earnings (the worklessness rate) has ranged between 50% and 60% in recent years

Figure 10: Worklessness rate, Great Britain, January 2019 to March 2026

Figure 10 shows that the measure of worklessness for customers in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime has ranged between 50% and 60% in recent years. The worklessness rate for March 2026 was 56.6%. This means, of those in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime who were not working in March 2026, 56.6% have been out of work for at least 6 consecutive months and have been in ‘Searching for work’ for at least 6 consecutive months.

The worklessness rate is lowest for younger customers, and higher for customers aged 50 and over

Figure 11: Worklessness rate by age group, Great Britain, January 2019 to March 2026

Figure 11 shows that the worklessness rate for customers in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality regime varies with age group and that it increases as age increases. Figure 11 also shows how the worklessness rate increased across all age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers in the younger age groups saw a bigger decrease over the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. There is a seasonality pattern emerging for those in the ‘Under 25’ age group, with lower worklessness rates seen over the winter months and higher rates in the summer.

Question 9

6. Young people aged 16 to 24 years who are NEET across England’s regions

Accepted Answer

The methodology behind constructing these estimates was updated in April 2026 to align with the approach taken by the ONS in their own NEET data. Therefore the figures published in this publication cannot be compared with similar figures in the Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights January 2026 and the Get Britain Working White Paper Analytical Annex. This methodology change is to increase alignment with the ONS methodology which is explained in the Background Information and Methodology paper accompanying this publication. Note the methodology for constructing confidence intervals in this release has changed, meaning confidence intervals cannot be compared between the July 2026 edition and previous editions.

England has considerable variation in NEET rates. For the year ending January to March 2026, estimates suggest the North East had the highest NEET rate and the South West had the lowest NEET rate, although there is some uncertainty in the data

Figure 12: NEET rates for those aged 16 to 24 years by England’s regions, for the year ending January to March 2026

For the year ending January to March 2026 the North East is estimated to have the highest NEET rate, meaning young people who are NEET make up a larger proportion of that age group in comparison to other regions. Table 14 of the accompanying data tables provides data on the number of young people that are NEET by region.

Question 10

7. About these statistics

Accepted Answer

An accompanying Background Information and Methodology paper and set of data tables complementing the results presented are available alongside the publication. This document, the statistics release and data tables can be found via the collections page.

These statistics are ‘Official Statistics in Development’. Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of Official Statistics should adhere to.

Contact information

For media enquiries contact the DWP Press Office.

Feedback is welcome.

ISBN: 978-1-80786-030-1

Next edition: October 2026

Users should note that UC statistics uses the term ‘conditionality regime’ in place of conditionality groups and labour market regime. Available at: Universal Credit statistics: background information and methodology ↩

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