'Labour's not working': One in seven households in Britain is now jobless as percentage of workless households reaches highest level for two years - and it's not been higher since 2017

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 11:09, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 11:14, 3 June 2026 Around one in seven households in Britain is now jobless with the percentage of workless households reaching the highest level for two years, new data shows. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 14.4 per cent of UK households had no member in employment during January to March this year. This was the highest level since January to March 2024 (also 14.4 per cent), while the percentage of workless households was previously only higher in July to September 2017 (14.5 per cent). There are an estimated 21.99 million households in the UK where at least one member is aged 16 to 64 years of age. Three in five (59.7 per cent) had all household members aged 16 and over in employment during January to March this year. And an estimated 25.9 per cent of households had a mix of at least one working and one workless adult over the same period. The percentage of workless households was shown to have risen by 0.3 per cent in the first three months of this year - from 14.1 per cent in October to December 2025. The Tories warned the increase was 'more evidence that Labour isn't working'. Your browser does not support iframes. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, told the Mail: 'This rise in workless households is more evidence that Labour isn't working. 'Bad for the economy and bad for society. And this news comes just the day after a further red tape attack on flexible working, which puts at risk more jobs in tourism, hospitality and retail.' Labour on Monday launched a consultation on plans to end 'exploitative' zero-hours contracts. The Government said proposed reforms would benefit more than 18 million workers who face uncertainty over their weekly hours and earnings. While those who value the flexibility of a zero-hours contract will still be able to choose one, exploitative arrangements, where employers take all the flexibility and workers bear all the risk, will be banned. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: 'It's not right that people can work regular hours but still have no certainty about their pay from week to week. 'These vital changes will mean more certainty for millions of people and will save the lowest paid workers hundreds of pounds.' But the Conservatives said the move risks ending the role of seasonal and temporary workers in the labour market, warning that many firms will simply offer fewer flexible roles. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.