One in five working-age individuals are economically inactive, according to the ONS

June 12, 2024 TruthUSA

The statistics agency stated that the increase from the previous year was partially due to a rise in long-term illness, which is currently at a 30-year peak.

Official statistics show that over a fifth of the UK’s working-age population is economically inactive, with a portion of this rate attributed to a rise in long-term sickness.

Between February and April 2024, an estimated 9.43 million individuals aged 16 to 64 were not in employment and not seeking work. This marks a 1.4 percent increase from the previous quarter and a 4.3 percent increase from the same quarter last year, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday.

The ONS noted that the annual increase was primarily due to students and individuals experiencing long-term sickness, with the number of economically inactive individuals due to long-term sickness reaching a record high of 2.83 million, the highest since 1993.

The issue of long-term sickness continued to be a factor in the quarterly rise, with the ONS reporting, “The increase in economic inactivity in the latest quarter was largely among those inactive because they were looking after family and home, long-term sick, or temporarily sick.”

According to statisticians referencing the 2023 Annual Population Survey estimates, the majority of individuals inactive due to long-term illness were aged 50 to 64 years old, “although long-term sickness has been increasing across all age groups.”

“Since comparable records began in 1971, the economic inactivity rate had generally been falling; however, it increased during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and fluctuated around this increased rate. In the latest quarter, the economic inactivity rate increased,” added the statistics agency.

UK’s Working Population ‘Getting Sicker’

Responding to the statistics, Christopher Rocks, the lead economist at the Health Foundation, expressed concern about the trend: “The UK’s working-age population is getting sicker. Today’s figures show a record 2.83 million people aged 16–64 are out of the workforce due to long-term health problems.