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Field Listing :: Unemployment rate
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.
Country Comparison to the World
Country
 Unemployment rate(%)
Afghanistan 35% (2008 est.)
40% (2005 est.)
Albania 13% (2012 est.)
13.3% (2011 est.)
note: these are official rates, but actual rates may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming
Algeria 10.2% (2012 est.)
10% (2011 est.)
American Samoa 29.8% (2005)
Andorra 1.9% (2011 est.)
1.2% (2010 est.)
Angola NA
Anguilla 8% (2002)
Antigua and Barbuda 11% (2001 est.)
Argentina 7.2% (2012 est.)
7.2% (2011 est.)
Armenia 7% (2012 est.)
5.9% (2011 est.)
Aruba 6.9% (2005 est.)
Australia 5.2% (2012 est.)
5.1% (2011 est.)
Austria 4.4% (2012 est.)
4.2% (2011 est.)
Azerbaijan 1% (2012 est.)
6% (2011 est.)
Bahamas, The 14.2% (2009 est.)
8.7% (2008 est.)
Bahrain 15% (2005 est.)
Bangladesh 5% (2012 est.)
5% (2011 est.)
note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many participants in the labor force work only a few hours a week, at low wages
Barbados 11.2% (2011 est.)
10.8% (2010 est.)
Belarus 1% (2009 est.)
1.6% (2005)
note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers
Belgium 7.6% (2012 est.)
7.2% (2011 est.)
Belize 13.1% (2009)
8.2% (2008)
Benin NA%
Bermuda 2.1% (2004 est.)
Bhutan 4% (2009)
2.5% (2004)
Bolivia 7.5% (2012 est.)
7.6% (2011 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
Bosnia and Herzegovina 43.3% (2011 est.)
43.1% (2010 est.)
note: official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy
Botswana 7.5% (2007 est.)
Brazil 6.2% (2012 est.)
6% (2011 est.)
British Virgin Islands 3.6% (1997)
Brunei 2.7% (2010)
3.7% (2008)
Bulgaria 9.9% (2012 est.)
9.6% (2011 est.)
Burkina Faso 77% (2004)
Burma 5.4% (2012 est.)
5.5% (2011 est.)
Burundi NA%
Cambodia 3.5% (2007 est.)
2.5% (2000 est.)
Cameroon 30% (2001 est.)
Canada 7.3% (2012 est.)
7.5% (2011 est.)
Cape Verde 21% (2000 est.)
Cayman Islands 4% (2008)
4.4% (2004)
Central African Republic 8% (2001 est.)
note: 23% unemployment in Bangui
Chad NA%
Chile 6.4% (2012 est.)
6.6% (2011 est.)
China 6.4% (2012 est.)
6.5% (2011 est.)
note: registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants was 4.1% in 2010
Cocos (Keeling) Islands 60% (2000 est.)
Colombia 10.3% (2012 est.)
10.8% (2011 est.)
Comoros 20% (1996 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the NA%
Congo, Republic of the NA%
Cook Islands 13.1% (2005)
Costa Rica 7.9% (2012 est.)
6.5% (2011 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire NA%
Croatia 19% (2012 est.)
17.8% (2011 est.)
Cuba 3.6% (2012 est.)
3.2% (2011 est.)
Curacao 10.3% (2008 est.)
Cyprus 8% (2012 est.)
7.9% (2011 est.)
Czech Republic 8.6% (2012 est.)
8.5% (2011 est.)
Denmark 6.4% (2012 est.)
6.1% (2011 est.)
Djibouti 59% (2007 est.)
note: data are for urban areas, 83% in rural areas
Dominica 23% (2000 est.)
Dominican Republic 14.7% (2012 est.)
14.6% (2011 est.)
Ecuador 5.9% (2012 est.)
6% (2011 est.)
Egypt 12.5% (2012 est.)
12% (2011 est.)
El Salvador 6.9% (2012 est.)
7% (2011 est.)
note: data are official rates; but the economy has much underemployment
Equatorial Guinea 22.3% (2009 est.)
Eritrea NA%
Estonia 11.5% (2012 est.)
12.5% (2011 est.)
Ethiopia NA%
European Union 10.5% (2012 est.)
9.7% (2011)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 4.1% (2010)
Faroe Islands 6.8% (2011)
5.7% (2010)
Fiji 7.6% (1999)
Finland 7.3% (2012 est.)
7.8% (2011 est.)
France 9.8% (2012 est.)
9.2% (2011 est.)
French Polynesia 11.7% (2005)
Gabon 21% (2006 est.)
Gambia, The NA%
Gaza Strip 40% (2010 est.)
40% (2009 est.)
Georgia 16.3% (2010 est.)
16.9% (2009 est.)
Germany 6.5% (2012 est.)
7.1% (2011 est.)
Ghana 11% (2000 est.)
Gibraltar 3% (2005 est.)
Greece 24.4% (2012 est.)
17.4% (2011 est.)
Greenland 4.9% (2011 est.)
4.2% (2010 est.)
Grenada 25% (2008)
12.5% (2000)
Guam 11.4% (2002 est.)
Guatemala 4.1% (2011 est.)
3.5% (2010 est.)
Guernsey 0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Guinea NA%
Guinea-Bissau NA%
Guyana 11% (2007)
Haiti 40.6% (2010 est.)
note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
Honduras 4.5% (2012 est.)
4.9% (2011 est.)
note: about one-third of the people are underemployed
Hong Kong 3.4% (2012 est.)
3.4% (2011 est.)
Hungary 11.2% (2012 est.)
10.9% (2011 est.)
Iceland 5.6% (2012 est.)
7.4% (2011 est.)
India 9.9% (2012 est.)
9.8% (2011 est.)
Indonesia 6.7% (2012 est.)
6.6% (2011 est.)
Iran 15.5% (2012 est.)
15.3% (2011 est.)
note: data are according to the Iranian Government
Iraq 16% (2012 est.)
15% (2010 est.)
Ireland 14.6% (2012 est.)
14.4% (2011 est.)
Isle of Man 2% (April 2011 est.)
1.8% (October 2010 est.)
Israel 6.3% (2012 est.)
5.6% (2011 est.)
Italy 10.9% (2012 est.)
8.4% (2011 est.)
Jamaica 14.2% (2012 est.)
14.1% (2011 est.)
Japan 4.4% (2012 est.)
4.6% (2011 est.)
Jersey 2.2% (2006 est.)
Jordan 12.3% (2012 est.)
12.3% (2011 est.)
note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
Kazakhstan 5.3% (2012 est.)
5.4% (2011 est.)
Kenya 40% (2008 est.)
40% (2001 est.)
Kiribati 2% (1992 est.)
Korea, North NA%
Korea, South 3.8% (2012 est.)
3.4% (2011 est.)
Kosovo 45.3% (2011 est.)
45.4% (2010 est.)
note: Kosovo has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data
Kuwait 2.2% (2004 est.)
Kyrgyzstan 8.6% (2011 est.)
18% (2004 est.)
Laos 2.5% (2009 est.)
2.4% (2005 est.)
Latvia 14.3% (2012 est.)
12.8% (2011 est.)
Lebanon NA%
Lesotho 45% (2002)
Liberia 85% (2003 est.)
Libya 30% (2004 est.)
Liechtenstein 2.8% (2009)
1.5% (2007)
Lithuania 15.7% (2012 est.)
15.4% (2011 est.)
Luxembourg 4.8% (2012 est.)
5.7% (2011 est.)
Macau 2% (2012 est.)
2.2% (2011 est.)
Macedonia 31.3% (2012 est.)
31.4% (2011 est.)
Malawi NA%
Malaysia 3% (2012 est.)
3.1% (2011 est.)
Maldives 28% (2012 est.)
14.5% (2010 est.)
Mali 30% (2004 est.)
Malta 6.1% (2012 est.)
6.4% (2011 est.)
Marshall Islands 36% (2006 est.)
30.9% (2000 est.)
Mauritania 30% (2008 est.)
20% (2004 est.)
Mauritius 8% (2012 est.)
7.9% (2011 est.)
Mexico 4.5% (2012 est.)
5.2% (2011 est.)
note: underemployment may be as high as 25%
Micronesia, Federated States of 22% (2000 est.)
Moldova 6.9% (2012 est.)
6.7% (2011 est.)
Monaco 0% (2005)
Mongolia 9% (2011 est.)
13% (2010)
Montenegro 11.5% (2011 est.)
14.7% (2007 est.)
Montserrat 6% (1998 est.)
Morocco 8.8% (2012 est.)
8.9% (2011 est.)
Mozambique 21% (1997 est.)
Namibia 51.2% (2008 est.)
36.7% (2004 est.)
Nauru 90% (2004 est.)
Nepal 46% (2008 est.)
42% (2004 est.)
Netherlands 6.8% (2012 est.)
5.8% (2011 est.)
New Caledonia 17.1% (2004)
New Zealand 6.5% (2012 est.)
6.5% (2011 est.)
Nicaragua 7.4% (2012 est.)
7.3% (2011 est.)
note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008
Niger NA%
Nigeria 23.9% (2011 est.)
4.9% (2011 est.)
Niue 12% (2001)
Northern Mariana Islands 8% (2005 est.)
3.9% (2001)
Norway 3.1% (2012 est.)
3.3% (2011 est.)
Oman 15% (2004 est.)
Pakistan 5.6% (2012 est.)
5.6% (2011 est.)
note: substantial underemployment exists
Palau 4.2% (2005 est.)
Panama 4.4% (2012 est.)
4.5% (2011 est.)
Papua New Guinea 1.9% (2008 est.)
1.8% (2004)
Paraguay 6.9% (2012 est.)
6.6% (2011 est.)
Peru 7.7% (2012 est.)
7.9% (2011 est.)
note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment
Philippines 6.9% (2012 est.)
7% (2011 est.)
Poland 12.6% (2012 est.)
12.4% (2011 est.)
Portugal 15.3% (2012 est.)
12.7% (2011 est.)
Puerto Rico 16% (2011 est.)
12% (2002 est.)
Qatar 0.5% (2012 est.)
0.4% (2011 est.)
Romania 4.3% (2012 est.)
5.1% (2011 est.)
Russia 6.2% (2012 est.)
6.6% (2011 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 10.3% (1999)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15% (2001 est.)
Samoa NA%
San Marino 5.5% (2011)
4.9% (2010)
Sao Tome and Principe NA%
Saudi Arabia 10.7% (2012 est.)
10.9% (2011 est.)
note: data are for Saudi males only (local bank estimates; some estimates range as high as 25%)
Senegal 48% (2007 est.)
Serbia 25.9% (2012 est.)
23.7% (2011 est.)
Seychelles 2% (2006 est.)
Sierra Leone NA%
Singapore 2% (2012 est.)
2% (2011 est.)
Sint Maarten 10.6% (2008 est.)
Slovakia 12.8% (2012 est.)
13.2% (2011 est.)
Slovenia 12.3% (2012 est.)
11.8% (2011 est.)
Solomon Islands NA%
Somalia NA%
South Africa 24.4% (2012 est.)
24.9% (2011 est.)
Spain 24.9% (2012 est.)
21.7% (2011 est.)
Sri Lanka 5.1% (2012 est.)
4.2% (2011 est.)
Sudan 20% (2012 est.)
18.7% (2002 est.)
Suriname 9% (2008)
12.1% (2006)
Swaziland 40% (2006 est.)
Sweden 7.5% (2012 est.)
7.5% (2011 est.)
Switzerland 3% (2012 est.)
2.8% (2011 est.)
Syria 18% (2012 est.)
14.9% (2011 est.)
Taiwan 4.3% (2012 est.)
4.4% (2011 est.)
Tajikistan 2.2% (2009 est.)
2.3% (2008 est.)
note: official rates; actual unemployment is much higher
Tanzania NA%
Thailand 0.9% (2012 est.)
0.7% (2011 est.)
Timor-Leste 18.4% (2010 est.)
20% (2006 est.)
Togo NA%
Tokelau NA%
Tonga 13% (FY03/04 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago 6.3% (2012 est.)
5.5% (2011 est.)
Tunisia 18.8% (2012 est.)
19% (2011 est.)
Turkey 9% (2012 est.)
9.8% (2011 est.)
note: underemployment amounted to 4% in 2008
Turkmenistan 60% (2004 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands 10% (1997 est.)
Tuvalu NA%
Uganda NA%
Ukraine 8.5% (2012 est.)
7.9% (2011 est.)
note: officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers
United Arab Emirates 2.4% (2001)
United Kingdom 7.8% (2012 est.)
8.1% (2011 est.)
United States 8.2% (2012 est.)
9% (2011 est.)
Uruguay 6.1% (2012 est.)
6% (2011 est.)
Uzbekistan 1% (2012 est.)
1% (2011 est.)
note: officially measured by the Ministry of Labor, plus another 20% underemployed
Vanuatu 1.7% (1999)
Venezuela 8% (2012 est.)
8.2% (2011 est.)
Vietnam 4.3% (2012 est.)
3.6% (2011 est.)
Virgin Islands 6.2% (2004)
Wallis and Futuna 15.2% (2003)
West Bank 23% (2012 est.)
23.5% (2011 est.)
Western Sahara NA%
World 9.2% (2012 est.)
8.4% (2011 est.)
note: 30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment (2007 est.)
Yemen 35% (2003 est.)
Zambia 14% (2006 est.)
50% (2000 est.)
Zimbabwe 95% (2009 est.)
80% (2005 est.)
note: figures reflect underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable
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