Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the unemployment rate in each month of this year, in particular those months in which unemployment rose.

The unemployment rate in May-Jul 2025 was 4.7%pts. The unemployment rate has increased by 0.2%pts since the start of the year. Over this period, the employment rate increased by 0.2% to 75.2% and the inactivity rate fell by 0.3%pts to 21.1%.

Increases in the unemployment rate have been driven by people leaving inactivity and reengaging the labour market. This shift in labour market participation, is exactly what our Get Britian Working strategy seeks to address.

Backed by £240m in Autumn 2024 Budget, our Get Britain Working strategy sets out the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation, bringing together skills and health to get more people into work and to get on in work.

Aimed at tackling rising levels of health-related economic inactivity and moving towards an 80% employment rate ambition; the Get Britain Working strategy has three main workstreams – Jobs and Careers Service, Pathways to Work, and young people. We’ve already made rapid progress, including:

• 17 trailblazers are underway or imminent across England and Wales.
• Launching our first Pathfinder in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, as part of our commitment to create a new Jobs and Careers Service.
• Testing a new Get Britain Working Coaching Academy to support and upskill our teams to provide high-quality conversations and help people find work.