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Economy & jobs
Statistics · Area
Unemployment rate in Berkshire
1999 – 2023 · 25 data points
12 of 22 · Regions of South East England
Updated 21 Oct 2026
Source: OECD Regional Database, 1999 – 2023
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Latest value · 2023
2.9%
+0.2 pp
since 2022
Regions of South East England · 2023
12 of 22
Place 1 is the highest value.
since 2013
−1.9 pp
vs South East England
±0.0 pp
South East England: 2.9% · 2023
Unemployment rate, 1999 – 2023 percent · Berkshire · South East England · United Kingdom · World
−1.9 pp since 2013
0%
2.5%
5%
7.5%
10%
1999
2010
2015
2025
Berkshire
South East England
United Kingdom
World
Sources: OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1999 – 2023
Compared with Unemployment rate · percent
Sources: OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators
The series at a glance Berkshire · 1999 – 2023
Latest value
2.9% · 2023
First value
2.6% · 1999
Highest
5.8% · 2010
Lowest
2.2% · 2000
Data points
25
By year
All years · 1999 – 2023
| Year | Berkshire | Change | South East England | United Kingdom | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.9% | +0.2 pp | 2.9% | 3.9% | 4.8% |
| 2022 | 2.7% | −1.0 pp | 3.1% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | +0.1 pp | 3.8% | 4.5% | 6.0% |
| 2020 | 3.6% | +0.9 pp | 4.0% | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | −0.1 pp | 3.0% | 3.8% | 5.6% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | −0.4 pp | 3.4% | 4.1% | 5.8% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | −0.1 pp | 3.2% | 4.4% | 5.9% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | −0.5 pp | 4.0% | 4.9% | 6.0% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | −0.6 pp | 4.2% | 5.4% | 6.0% |
| 2014 | 4.4% | −0.4 pp | 4.8% | 6.2% | 6.0% |
| 2013 | 4.8% | −1.0 pp | 5.7% | 7.6% | 6.1% |
| 2012break in series | 5.8% | +0.6 pp | 6.0% | 8.0% | 6.2% |
| 2011 | 5.2% | −0.6 pp | 6.1% | 8.1% | 6.1% |
| 2010 | 5.8% | +0.4 pp | 6.2% | 7.9% | 6.3% |
| 2009 | 5.4% | +1.4 pp | 5.8% | 7.6% | 6.4% |
| 2008break in series | 4.0% | +0.1 pp | 4.4% | 5.7% | 5.8% |
| 2007break in series | 3.9% | ±0.0 pp | 4.4% | 5.3% | 5.8% |
| 2006 | 3.9% | +0.5 pp | 4.5% | 5.4% | 6.0% |
| 2005break in series | 3.4% | −0.4 pp | 3.9% | 4.8% | 6.2% |
| 2004break in series | 3.8% | ±0.0 pp | 3.7% | 4.8% | 6.3% |
| 2003 | 3.8% | ±0.0 pp | 3.9% | 5.0% | 6.5% |
| 2002 | 3.8% | +0.9 pp | 3.8% | 5.2% | 6.4% |
| 2001 | 2.9% | +0.7 pp | 3.3% | 5.1% | 6.2% |
| 2000 | 2.2% | −0.4 pp | 3.3% | 5.5% | 6.1% |
| 1999break in series | 2.6% | 3.9% | 6.0% | 6.3% |
Sources: OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1999 – 2023
Ranking · Regions of South East England
2016 · Place 1 is the highest value.
| # | Territory | Unemployment rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 3.3% | |
| 4 | Brighton and Hove | 6.1% | |
| 18 | Buckinghamshire | 3.1% | |
| 20 | Central Hampshire | 2.8% | |
| 9 | East Kent | 4.9% | |
| 21 | East Surrey | 2.7% | |
| 11 | East Sussex CC | 4.7% | |
| 12 | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 4.2% | |
| 10 | Isle of Wight | 4.8% | |
| 7 | Kent | 5.4% | |
| 5 | Kent Thames Gateway | 5.7% | |
| 1 | Medway | 6.6% | |
| 3 | Mid Kent | 6.2% | |
| 24 | Milton Keynes | 1.9% | |
| 23 | North Hampshire | 2.4% | |
| 16 | Oxfordshire CC | 3.6% | |
| 2 | Portsmouth | 6.3% | |
| 6 | South Hampshire | 5.4% | |
| 8 | Southampton | 5.3% | |
| 15 | Surrey, East and West Sussex | 3.8% | |
| 13 | West Kent | 4.0% | |
| 14 | West Surrey | 3.8% | |
| 22 | West Sussex (North East) | 2.5% | |
| 19 | West Sussex (South West) | 3.0% |
Source: OECD Regional Database, 2016
What it means
The share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one.
How it is calculated
Unemployed people divided by the labour force (employed plus unemployed), following the international definition; annual average.
Economy & jobs
Berkshire in numbers
GDP per person
£41,319
2023 · South East England
GDP per person (PPP)
US$61,909
2023 · South East England
Gross domestic product
US$4T
2025 · United Kingdom
Economic growth
1.4%
2025 · United Kingdom
Inflation
3.9%
2025 · United Kingdom
Youth unemployment
14.6%
2025 · United Kingdom
Employment rate
81.5%
2023
Labour force participation
61.4%
2025 · United Kingdom
Household income per person
US$41,843
2023 · South East England
Income inequality (Gini)
32.4
2021 · United Kingdom