Unemployment rate during each prime minister's tenure
Every prime minister since 1991, ranked by how the unemployment rate 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 | Lab Gordon Brown | 27 Jun 2007 – 11 May 2010 | +2.6 pp May 2007 → Apr 2010 | +0.9 pp/yr | |
| 2 | Lab Keir Starmer | 5 Jul 2024 – 20 Jul 2026 | +0.7 pp Jun 2024 → Jun 2026 | +0.4 pp/yr | |
| 3 | Con Rishi Sunak | 25 Oct 2022 – 5 Jul 2024 | +0.5 pp Sep 2022 → Jun 2024 | +0.3 pp/yr | |
| 4 | Con Boris Johnson | 24 Jul 2019 – 6 Sep 2022 | −0.3 pp Jun 2019 → Aug 2022 | −0.1 pp/yr | |
| 5 | Con John Major | 28 Nov 1990 – 2 May 1997 from Jan 1991 | −0.4 pp Jan 1991 → Apr 1997 | −0.1 pp/yr | |
| 6 | Con Theresa May | 13 Jul 2016 – 24 Jul 2019 | −1.0 pp Jun 2016 → Jun 2019 | −0.3 pp/yr | |
| 7 | Lab Tony Blair | 2 May 1997 – 27 Jun 2007 | −1.8 pp Apr 1997 → May 2007 | −0.2 pp/yr | |
| 8 | Con David Cameron | 11 May 2010 – 13 Jul 2016 | −3.1 pp Apr 2010 → Jun 2016 | −0.5 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 labour force · ONS Labour Force Survey, rolling three months dated at their last month, seasonally adjusted · United Kingdom data · as of Sep 2026.