OECD Unemployment Rates

Data Employment

Source: OECD
Source Link: https://www.oecd.org/
Frequency: Monthly
Next Release(s): October 16th, 2025 6:00 AM

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The OECD unemployment rate held steady at 4.9% in July 2025, maintaining a streak at or below 5.0% since April 2022 and leaving the total unemployed at 34.3 million.
- Unemployment rates were unchanged in 20 OECD countries, fell in 11 (notably Greece and Norway), and rose only in Ireland and Sweden.
- Japan, Korea, and Slovenia posted jobless rates below 3%, near record lows, while 14 OECD countries had rates at least 1.0 ppt above their historic lows.
- Youth unemployment declined to 11.2% (from 11.4% in June) but remained 7.1 ppts higher than the 25+ rate; the gap was smallest in Japan and Germany (<3 ppts) and largest in Costa Rica, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia (>15 ppts).
- Men’s unemployment held at 4.8% and women’s at 5.0%, both stable from June.
- In the EU and euro area, rates remained at 5.9% and 6.2%, respectively; Greece, Austria, and Portugal saw demographic-driven shifts, while Ireland’s rise was led by women.
- Outside the euro area, Türkiye’s jobless rate fell to a record low of 8%, while Sweden’s increase was driven by women.
- August data showed Canada’s unemployment rising to 7.1%, while the U.S. remained stable at 4.3%, slightly above levels from January.
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The OECD unemployment rate held steady at 4.9% in May 2025, continuing a 3-year streak at or below the 5.0% threshold.

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The OECD unemployment rate held steady at 4.9% in April 2025, continuing a 3-year streak at or below the 5.0% threshold.
- Youth unemployment remained elevated at 11.2%, 7.1 ppts higher than the 25+ rate, with gaps exceeding 15 ppts in Sweden, Luxembourg, Spain, and Costa Rica.
- Rates were unchanged in 22 OECD countries, fell in 7 (including Colombia and Korea), and rose in 4 (notably Canada and Türkiye).
- The EU and euro area jobless rates held at 5.9% and 6.2%, respectively, with most member states reporting stable conditions.
- Türkiye saw the sharpest increase (+0.6 ppts) after a record low in March, driven by workers aged 25 and over.
- In May 2025, Canada’s unemployment rate was stable at 7.0%, while the U.S. held at 4.2%.
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The OECD unemployment rate held steady at 4.9% in March 2025, marking three consecutive years at or below 5.0%.
- Unemployment rates were unchanged in 23 OECD countries, declined in 4, and rose in 5.
- The EU and euro area jobless rates remained at record lows of 5.8% and 6.2%, respectively, for the sixth straight month.
- Youth unemployment (15–24) was stable at 11.1%, about 7.0 ppts above the rate for workers aged 25+.
- Türkiye recorded its lowest unemployment rate (7.9%) since January 2005; Sweden saw the largest MoM decline (-0.8 ppts), while Denmark had the largest increase (+1.4 ppts).
- In April 2025, Canada's unemployment rate ticked up to 6.9%, while the U.S. rate held steady at 4.2%.
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In February, the OECD unemployment rate held steady at 4.8%, having been at or below 5.0% since April 2022.
- Compared with January, February unemployment rates were unchanged in 22 OECD countries, declined in 7, and increased in 2.
- The G7 unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3% where its been since Q1 2024.
- Unemployment rates remained at record lows in the EU and euro area.
- OECD employment and labour force participation (LFP) rates remained broadly stable at 70.2% and 73.9% in Q4 2024, close to their peaks recorded in the previous quarter.
- For all of 2024, the OECD employment rate was slightly higher than for 2023 (up by 0.2 ppts), reflecting mainly an increase in the labour force participation rate.
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The OECD unemployment rate remained broadly stable at its record low of 4.8% in January 2025. This record low was first reached in March 2023 and the unemployment rate has remained close to this level ever since.

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The OECD unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.9% in December 2024, having been at or just below 5.0% throughout 2024.
- Compared with November, December unemployment rates were unchanged in 19 OECD countries, rose in 7, and declined in 6.
- Four OECD countries recorded a monthly unemployment rate below 3.0% including Israel at its record low (2.6%).
- However, the unemployment rate was 2.0 ppts or more above its record low in nine OECD countries.
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OECD employment and labour force participation (LFP) rates remained broadly stable at 70.3% and 74% in the third quarter of 2024, marking the highest levels recorded since the start of the series in 2005 and 2008 respectively.

In November 2024, the OECD unemployment rate held steady at 4.9%, having been at or below 5.0% since April 2022.

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