Library

 
FIELD LISTING :: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE Print
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.


Country Comparison to the World

CountryUNEMPLOYMENT RATE(%)
Afghanistan 35% (2008 est.)
40% (2005 est.)
Albania 17.3% (2015 est.)
17.5% (2014 est.)
note: these official rates may not include those working at near-subsistence farming
Algeria 12.4% (2016 est.)
11.2% (2015 est.)
American Samoa 29.8% (2005)
Andorra 4% (2012 est.)
1.9% (2011 est.)
Angola NA%
Anguilla 8% (2002)
Antigua and Barbuda 11% (2014 est.)
Argentina 8% (2016 est.)
7.6% (2015 est.)
Armenia 18.1% (2016 est.)
Aruba 6.9% (2005 est.)
Australia 5.8% (2016 est.)
6.1% (2015 est.)
Austria 6.1% (2016 est.)
5.7% (2015 est.)
Azerbaijan 6.4% (2016 est.)
5.3% (2015 est.)
Bahamas, The 15% (2014 est.)
15.8% (2013 est.)
Bahrain 4.1% (2014 est.)
4.3% (2013 est.)
note: official estimate; actual rate is higher
Bangladesh 4.9% (2016 est.)
4.9% (2015 est.)
note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many persons counted as employed work only a few hours a week and at low wages
Barbados 11% (2016 est.)
11.3% (2015 est.)
Belarus 0.7% (2014 est.)
0.5% (2013 est.)
note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers
Belgium 8.4% (2016 est.)
8.5% (2015 est.)
Belize 12.9% (2014 est.)
14.1% (2013 est.)
Benin NA%
Bermuda 9% (2014 est.)
7% (2013)
Bhutan 2.6% (2014 est.)
2.9% (2013 est.)
Bolivia 7.5% (2016 est.)
7.4% (2015 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
Bosnia and Herzegovina 43.2% (2015 est.)
43.2% (2015 est.)
note: official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy
Botswana 20% (2013 est.)
17.8% (2009 est.)
Brazil 12.6% (2016 est.)
9% (2015 est.)
British Virgin Islands 8.7% (2010 est.)
Brunei 6.9% (2014 est.)
9.3% (2011 est.)
Bulgaria 8.9% (2016 est.)
10.1% (2015 est.)
Burkina Faso 77% (2004)
Burma 4.8% (2016 est.)
5% (2015 est.)
Burundi NA%
Cabo Verde 12% (2014 est.)
16.4% (2013 est.)
Cambodia 0.3% (2013 est.)
0.2% (2012 est.)
note: according to official statistics; underemployment is high
Cameroon 30% (2001 est.)
Canada 7.1% (2016 est.)
6.9% (2015 est.)
Cayman Islands 4% (2008)
4.4% (2004)
Central African Republic 8% (2001 est.)
note: 23% unemployment in the capital, Bangui
Chad NA%
Chile 7% (2016 est.)
6.3% (2015 est.)
China 4.2% (2016 est.)
4% (2015 est.)
note: data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants
Cocos (Keeling) Islands 60% (2000 est.)
Colombia 9.5% (2016 est.)
8.9% (2015 est.)
Comoros 6.5% (2014 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the NA%
Congo, Republic of the 53% (2012 est.)
Cook Islands 13.1% (2005)
Costa Rica 9.3% (2016 est.)
9.4% (2015 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire NA%
Croatia 15.8% (2016 est.)
17.1% (2015 est.)
Cuba 2.5% (2016 est.)
2.4% (2015 est.)
note: these are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double the official figures
Curacao 13% (2013 est.)
9.8% (2011 est.)
Cyprus 11.8% (2016 est.)
14.9% (2015 est.)
Czechia 5.6% (2016 est.)
6.5% (2015 est.)
Denmark 4.2% (2016 est.)
4.6% (2015 est.)
Djibouti 60% (2014 est.)
59% (2007 est.)
Dominica 23% (2000 est.)
Dominican Republic 13.8% (2016 est.)
14% (2015 est.)
Ecuador 5.5% (2016 est.)
4.3% (2015 est.)
Egypt 13.1% (2016 est.)
12.8% (2015 est.)
El Salvador 5.5% (2016 est.)
5.5% (2015 est.)
note: data are official rates; but underemployment is high
Equatorial Guinea 22.3% (2009 est.)
Eritrea 8.6% (2013 est.)
10% (2012 est.)
Estonia 6.5% (2016 est.)
6.2% (2015 est.)
Ethiopia 17.5% (2012 est.)
18% (2011 est.)
European Union 9.5% (2015 est.)
9.4% (2015)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 4.1% (2010)
Faroe Islands 2.9% (2015 est.)
3.1% (2014)
Fiji 8.8% (2014 est.)
8.7% (2013 est.)
Finland 9.1% (2016 est.)
9.3% (2015 est.)
France 9.7% (2016 est.)
10.1% (2015 est.)
note: includes overseas territories
French Polynesia 21.8% (2012)
11.7% (2010)
Gabon 21% (2006 est.)
Gambia, The NA%
Gaza Strip 26.1% (2016 est.)
25.9% (2015 est.)
note: data exclude the West Bank
Georgia 12.1% (2016 est.)
12% (2015 est.)
Germany 4.3% (2016 est.)
4.6% (2015 est.)
Ghana 5.2% (2013 est.)
Gibraltar 3% (2005 est.)
Greece 24.6% (2016 est.)
25% (2015 est.)
Greenland 9.4% (2013 est.)
4.2% (2010 est.)
Grenada 33.5% (2013)
25% (2008)
Guam 8.4% (2013 est.)
8.2% (2010 est.)
Guatemala 2.9% (2014 est.)
3% (2013 est.)
Guernsey 0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Guinea-Bissau NA%
Guinea NA%
Guyana 11.1% (2013)
11.3% (2012)
Haiti 40.6% (2010 est.)
note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
Honduras 3.9% (2016 est.)
4.1% (2015 est.)
note: about one-third of the people are underemployed
Hong Kong 3.6% (2016 est.)
3.3% (2015 est.)
Hungary 6.6% (2016 est.)
6.8% (2015 est.)
Iceland 2.7% (2016 est.)
4% (2015 est.)
India 8.4% (2016 est.)
8.4% (2015 est.)
Indonesia 6.3% (2016 est.)
6.2% (2015 est.)
Iran 10.7% (2016 est.)
10.5% (2015 est.)
note: data are according to the Iranian Government
Iraq 16% (2012 est.)
15% (2010 est.)
Ireland 8% (2016 est.)
9.5% (2015 est.)
Isle of Man 2% (April 2011 est.)
1.8% (October 2010 est.)
Israel 5% (2016 est.)
5.3% (2015 est.)
Italy 11.4% (2016 est.)
11.9% (2015 est.)
Jamaica 13.8% (2016 est.)
14% (2015 est.)
Japan 3.2% (2016 est.)
3.4% (2015 est.)
Jersey 1.7% (2012 est.)
2.2% (2006 est.)
Jordan 14.8% (2016 est.)
13.1% (2015 est.)
note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
Kazakhstan 5.7% (2016 est.)
5% (2015 est.)
Kenya 40% (2013 est.)
40% (2001 est.)
Kiribati 30.6% (2010 est.)
6.1% (2005)
Korea, North 25.6% (2013 est.)
25.5% (2012 est.)
Korea, South 4% (2016 est.)
3.6% (2015 est.)
Kosovo 35.3% (2014 est.)
30.9% (2013 est.)
note: Kosovo has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data
Kuwait 3% (2016 est.)
3% (2015 est.)
Kyrgyzstan 8% (2013 est.)
8.1% (2014 est.)
Laos 1.3% (2012 est.)
1.4% (2014 est.)
Latvia 9.6% (2016 est.)
9.9% (2015 est.)
Lebanon NA%
Lesotho 28.1% (2014 est.)
25% (2008 est.)
Liberia 85% (2003 est.)
Libya 30% (2004 est.)
Liechtenstein 3.4% (2014)
2.3% (2012)
Lithuania 8.2% (2016 est.)
9.1% (2015 est.)
Luxembourg 6.7% (2016 est.)
6.9% (2015 est.)
Macau 1.9% (2016 est.)
1.8% (2015 est.)
Macedonia 24.9% (2016 est.)
26.1% (2015 est.)
Madagascar NA% (2015 est.)
3.6% (2014 est.)
Malawi NA%
Malaysia 3.3% (2016 est.)
3.2% (2015 est.)
Maldives 11.6% (2013 est.)
11% (2012 est.)
Mali 30% (2015 est.)
8.1% (2014 est.)
Malta 4.6% (2016 est.)
5.4% (2015 est.)
Marshall Islands 36% (2006 est.)
30.9% (2000 est.)
Mauritania 31% (2013 est.)
Mauritius 7.8% (2016 est.)
8% (2015 est.)
Mexico 4.4% (2016 est.)
4.4% (2015 est.)
note: underemployment may be as high as 25%
Micronesia, Federated States of 16.2% (2010 est.)
Moldova 6.3% (2016 est.)
5.2% (2015 est.)
Monaco 2% (2012)
Mongolia 8.3% (2015 est.)
4.8% (2014 est.)
Montenegro 18.5% (2014 est.)
19.1% (2013 est.)
Montserrat 6% (1998 est.)
Morocco 9.9% (2016 est.)
9.7% (2015 est.)
Mozambique 17% (2007 est.)
21% (1997 est.)
Namibia 28.1% (2014 est.)
29.6% (2013 est.)
Nauru 23% (2011 est.)
90% (2004 est.)
Nepal 46% (2008 est.)
42% (2004 est.)
Netherlands 6.2% (2016 est.)
6.9% (2015 est.)
New Caledonia 17.1% (2004)
New Zealand 5.1% (2016 est.)
5.4% (2015 est.)
Nicaragua 6% (2016 est.)
6.1% (2015 est.)
note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008
Nigeria 23.9% (2011 est.)
4.9% (2011 est.)
Niger 5.1% (2015 est.)
5.1% (2014 est.)
Niue 12% (2001)
Northern Mariana Islands 11.2% (2010 est.)
8% (2005 est.)
Norway 4.8% (2016 est.)
4.4% (2015 est.)
Oman 15% (2004 est.)
Pakistan 6.7% (2016 est.)
6.4% (2015 est.)
note: substantial underemployment exists
Palau 4.2% (2005 est.)
Panama 4.5% (2016 est.)
4.5% (2015 est.)
Papua New Guinea 1.9% (2008 est.)
1.6% (2004)
Paraguay 6.2% (2016 est.)
5.8% (2015 est.)
Peru 5.9% (2016 est.)
5.2% (2015 est.)
note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment
Philippines 6.6% (2016 est.)
6.3% (2015 est.)
Poland 9.6% (2016 est.)
10.5% (2015 est.)
Portugal 11.3% (2016 est.)
12.4% (2015 est.)
Puerto Rico 13.7% (December 2014 est.)
15% (December 2013 est.)
Qatar 0.7% (2016 est.)
0.4% (2015 est.)
Romania 6.7% (2016 est.)
6.8% (2015 est.)
Russia 8.2% (2016 est.)
5.6% (2015 est.)
Rwanda NA%
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha 14% (1998 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis 4.5% (1997)
Saint Lucia 20% (2003 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 9.9% (2008 est.)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18.8% (2008 est.)
Samoa NA%
San Marino 8.7% (2014 est.)
8.1% (2013 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe 13.5% (2014 est.)
13.7% (2013 est.)
Saudi Arabia 11.2% (2016 est.)
11.4% (2015 est.)
note: data are for Saudi males only (local bank estimates; some estimates are as high as 25%)
Senegal 48% (2007 est.)
Serbia 18.9% (2016 est.)
19.3% (2015 est.)
Seychelles 3% (2014 est.)
3.3% (2013 est.)
Sierra Leone 9.1% (2014 est.)
Singapore 2.1% (2016 est.)
1.9% (2015 est.)
Sint Maarten 12% (2012 est.)
10.6% (2008 est.)
Slovakia 9.8% (2016 est.)
11.5% (2015 est.)
Slovenia 11.6% (2016 est.)
12.3% (2015 est.)
Solomon Islands NA%
Somalia NA%
South Africa 26.8% (2016 est.)
25.4% (2015 est.)
Spain 19.7% (2016 est.)
22.1% (2015 est.)
Sri Lanka 4.5% (2016 est.)
4.7% (2015 est.)
Sudan 13.6% (2014 est.)
14.8% (2013 est.)
Suriname 8.9% (2014 est.)
8.5% (2013 est.)
Swaziland 40% (2006 est.)
Sweden 6.9% (2016 est.)
7.4% (2015 est.)
Switzerland 3.4% (2016 est.)
3.2% (2015 est.)
Syria 50% (2016 est.)
50% (2015 est.)
Taiwan 3.9% (2016 est.)
3.8% (2015 est.)
Tajikistan 2.5% (2013 est.)
2.5% (2012 est.)
note: official rates; actual unemployment is much higher
Tanzania NA%
Thailand 0.9% (2016 est.)
0.9% (2015 est.)
Timor-Leste 11% (2013 est.)
18.4% (2010 est.)
Togo NA%
Tokelau NA%
Tonga 1.1% (2011 est.)
1.1% (2006)
Trinidad and Tobago 4% (2016 est.)
3.5% (2015 est.)
Tunisia 15.4% (2016 est.)
15.2% (2015 est.)
Turkey 9.8% (2016 est.)
10.3% (2015 est.)
Turkmenistan 11% (2014 est.)
10.6% (2013)
Turks and Caicos Islands 10% (1997 est.)
Tuvalu NA%
Uganda NA%
9.4% (2013 est.)
Ukraine 10% (2016 est.)
9.1% (2015 est.)
note: officially registered workers; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers
United Arab Emirates 2.4% (2001 est.)
United Kingdom 5.1% (2016 est.)
5.4% (2015 est.)
United States 4.7% (2016 est.)
5.3% (2015 est.)
Uruguay 7.6% (2016 est.)
7.5% (2015 est.)
Uzbekistan 4.9% (2016 est.)
5% (2015 est.)
note: official data; another 20% are underemployed
Vanuatu 1.7% (1999 est.)
Venezuela 10.5% (2016 est.)
6.8% (2015 est.)
Vietnam 3.7% (2016 est.)
3.5% (2015 est.)
Virgin Islands 13% (2014)
Wallis and Futuna 12.2% (2008 est.)
West Bank 17.7% (2014 est.)
18.6% (2013 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
Western Sahara NA%
World 8.6% (2016 est.)
7.6% (2015 est.)
note: 30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment (2007 est.)
Yemen 27% (2014 est.)
35% (2003 est.)
Zambia 15% (2008 est.)
50% (2000 est.)
Zimbabwe 95% (2009 est.)
80% (2005 est.)
note: figures include unemployment and underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable