Unemployment rates in London for men and women (Jun 1992 - Jun 2025)
Last updated: August 2025
Next estimated update: November 2025
What does this indicator show?
This indicator shows the proportion of Londoners that are unemployed, split by sex.
What does it tell us?
The difference between unemployment rates of men and women in London closed by the mid-2000s, but the recent uptick in overall unemployment is slightly higher amongst women in June 2025. 6.3% of women in London were unemployed in June 2025, compared to 5.7% of men.
For both sexes, unemployment is higher than three years ago. The unemployment rate is also higher than it was immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic, but remains lower than the peak during the financial crisis of around 10% (in 2011).
The unemployment gap
Over the past three decades, the gender split has become more even overall. In 1993 the unemployment rate was more than 50% higher amongst men compared to women, but by the late 2000s the numbers were broadly similar for both genders. In June 2025, the unemployment rate for women is only 0.6% higher compared to men.
What does unemployment mean?
The unemployment rate is the percentage of people that are able or willing to work but don’t currently have a job. It only includes those who are looking for a job or are able to start work soon, and doesn’t count those who are of working age but unable to work or not looking for work. Instead, this group is counted as 'economically inactive', and includes people who are retired, studying, have caring responsibilities, or are too sick to work.