One in three unemployed over-fifties has been looking for more than a year

In May to July 2026, 317,000 people aged 50 and over were unemployed, 2.7 per cent of the economically active in the age group. 101,000 of them had been unemployed for more than twelve months, 32.0 per cent, and 62,000 for more than two years. Among unemployed people aged 25 to 49 the share over twelve months was 29.7 per cent. Among 18 to 24s it was 22.5 per cent. Across everyone aged 16 and over it was 26.0 per cent. A year earlier the over-fifty share was 28.2 per cent.

The figures are from table UNEM01, Unemployment by age and duration, seasonally adjusted, published by the Office for National Statistics on 15 September 2026 from the Labour Force Survey. The band is 50 and over, which includes people past state pension age; the table does not cut at 64. Levels are rounded to the nearest thousand.