Employment rate, 16–64 during each prime minister's tenure
Every prime minister since 1991, ranked by how the employment rate, 16–64 changed from their first day in office. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Prime minister | In office | Total | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Con David Cameron | 11 May 2010 – 13 Jul 2016 | +4.2 pp Apr 2010 → Jun 2016 | +0.7 pp/yr | |
| 2 | Lab Tony Blair | 2 May 1997 – 27 Jun 2007 | +1.8 pp Apr 1997 → May 2007 | +0.2 pp/yr | |
| 3 | Con Theresa May | 13 Jul 2016 – 24 Jul 2019 | +1.7 pp Jun 2016 → Jun 2019 | +0.6 pp/yr | |
| 4 | Lab Keir Starmer | 5 Jul 2024 – 20 Jul 2026 | +0.6 pp Jun 2024 → Jun 2026 | +0.3 pp/yr | |
| 5 | Con Rishi Sunak | 25 Oct 2022 – 5 Jul 2024 | −0.5 pp Sep 2022 → Jun 2024 | −0.3 pp/yr | |
| 6 | Con Boris Johnson | 24 Jul 2019 – 6 Sep 2022 | −1.1 pp Jun 2019 → Aug 2022 | −0.3 pp/yr | |
| 7 | Con John Major | 28 Nov 1990 – 2 May 1997 from Jan 1991 | −1.2 pp Jan 1991 → Apr 1997 | −0.2 pp/yr | |
| 8 | Lab Gordon Brown | 27 Jun 2007 – 11 May 2010 | −2.5 pp May 2007 → Apr 2010 | −0.9 pp/yr |
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last month complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that period had no data, or because the period cut it); Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in pp; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. % of the population aged 16–64 · ONS Labour Force Survey, rolling three months dated at their last month, seasonally adjusted · United Kingdom data · as of Sep 2026.