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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.) 13.4% (2011 est.) note: these are official rates, but actual rates may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming


Algeria	10.7% (2012 est.) 10% (2011 est.)


American Samoa	29.8% (2005)


Andorra	2.9% (2012 est.) 1.9% (2011 est.)


Angola	NA%


Anguilla	8% (2002)


Antigua and Barbuda	11% (2001 est.)


Argentina	7.2% (2012 est.) 7.2% (2011 est.)


Armenia	17.3% (2012 est.) 18.4% (2011 est.)


Aruba	6.9% (2005 est.)


Australia	5.2% (2012 est.) 5.1% (2011 est.)


Austria	2.9% (2012 est.) 1.9% (2011 est.)


Azerbaijan	5.7% (2012 est.) 5.4% (2011 est.)


Bahamas, The	14% (2012 est.) 14.2% (2009 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	11.6% (2012 est.) 11.2% (2011 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	11.3% (2012) 13.1% (2009)


Benin	NA%


Bermuda	8% (2012 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	44.1% (2012 est.) 43.3% (2011 est.) note: official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy


Botswana	17.8% (2009 est.) 7.5% (2007 est.)


Brazil	5.5% (2012 est.) 6% (2011 est.)


British Virgin Islands	8.7% (2010 est.)


Brunei	2.6% (2011) 2.7% (2010)


Bulgaria	11.1% (2012 est.) 9.6% (2011 est.)


Burkina Faso	77% (2004)


Burma	5.4% (2012 est.) 5.5% (2011 est.)


Burundi	NA%


Cabo Verde	21% (2000 est.)


Cambodia	0% (2011 est.) 0.3% (2010 est.)


Cameroon	30% (2001 est.)


Canada	7.3% (2012 est.) 7.5% (2011 est.)


Cayman Islands	4% (2008) 4.4% (2004)


Central African Republic	8% (2001 est.) note: 23% unemployment in Bangui


Chad	NA%


Chile	6.3% (2012 est.) 6.6% (2011 est.)


China	6.5% (2012 est.) 6.5% (2011 est.) note: registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants, was 4.1% in 2012


Cocos (Keeling) Islands	60% (2000 est.)


Colombia	10.4% (2012 est.) 10.8% (2011 est.)


Comoros	20% (1996 est.)


Congo, Democratic Republic of the	NA%


Congo, Republic of the	53% (2012 est.)


Cook Islands	13.1% (2005)


Costa Rica	7.8% (2012 est.) 7.7% (2011 est.)


Cote d'Ivoire	NA%


Croatia	19.1% (2012 est.) 17.8% (2011 est.)


Cuba	3.8% (2012 est.) 3.2% (2011 est.) note: these are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double the official figures


Curacao	9.8% (2011 est.) 10.3% (2008 est.)


Cyprus	11.9% (2012 est.) 7.9% (2011 est.)


Czech Republic	6.8% (2012 est.) 6.7% (2011 est.)


Denmark	6% (2012 est.) 6% (2011 est.)


Djibouti	59% (2007 est.) note: data are for urban areas, 83% in rural areas


Dominica	23% (2000 est.)


Dominican Republic	14.3% (2012 est.) 14.6% (2011 est.)


Ecuador	4.9% (2012 est.) 6% (2011 est.)


Egypt	12.7% (2012 est.) 12% (2011 est.)


El Salvador	6.1% (2012 est.) 6.6% (2011 est.) note: data are official rates; but the economy has much underemployment


Equatorial Guinea	22.3% (2009 est.)


Eritrea	NA%


Estonia	10.2% (2012 est.) 12.5% (2011 est.)


Ethiopia	NA%


European Union	10.2% (2012 est.) 9.4% (2011)


Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	4.1% (2010)


Faroe Islands	6.8% (2011) 5.7% (2010)


Fiji	7.6% (1999)


Finland	7.8% (2012 est.) 7.8% (2011 est.)


France	9.8% (2012 est.) 9.2% (2011 est.)


French Polynesia	11.7% (2010) 11.7% (2005)


Gabon	21% (2006 est.)


Gambia, The	NA%


Gaza Strip	23% (2012 est.) 20.9% (2011 est.)


Georgia	15% (2012 est.) 15.1% (2011 est.)


Germany	5.5% (2012 est.) 6% (2011 est.)


Ghana	11% (2000 est.)


Gibraltar	3% (2005 est.)


Greece	24.3% (2012 est.) 17.7% (2011 est.)


Greenland	4.9% (2011 est.) 4.2% (2010 est.)


Grenada	25% (2008) 12.5% (2000)


Guam	8.2% (2010 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	4.4% (2012 est.) 4.3% (2011 est.) note: about one-third of the people are underemployed


Hong Kong	3.3% (2012 est.) 3.4% (2011 est.)


Hungary	10.7% (2012 est.) 10.7% (2011 est.)


Iceland	5.8% (2012 est.) 7.4% (2011 est.)


India	8.5% (2012 est.) 8.1% (2011 est.)


Indonesia	6.1% (2012 est.) 6.6% (2011 est.)


Iran	15.5% (2012 est.) 14.1% (2011 est.) note: data are according to the Iranian Government


Iraq	16% (2012 est.) 15% (2010 est.)


Ireland	14.7% (2012 est.) 14.6% (2011 est.)


Isle of Man	2% (April 2011 est.) 1.8% (October 2010 est.)


Israel	6.9% (2012 est.) 7% (2011 est.)


Italy	10.7% (2012 est.) 8.4% (2011 est.)


Jamaica	13.7% (2012 est.) 12.7% (2011 est.)


Japan	4.4% (2012 est.) 4.6% (2011 est.)


Jersey	1.7% (2012 est.) 2.2% (2006 est.)


Jordan	12.5% (2012 est.) 12.1% (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	3.2% (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	11.4% (2012 est.) 12.8% (2011 est.)


Lebanon	NA%


Lesotho	25% (2008 est.) 45% (2002 est.)


Liberia	85% (2003 est.)


Libya	30% (2004 est.)


Liechtenstein	2.5% (2011) 2.2% (2010)


Lithuania	13.2% (2012 est.) 15.3% (2011 est.)


Luxembourg	6.1% (2012 est.) 5.6% (2011 est.)


Macau	2% (2012 est.) 2.6% (2011 est.)


Macedonia	31% (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	6.4% (2012 est.) 6.5% (2011 est.)


Marshall Islands	36% (2006 est.) 30.9% (2000 est.)


Mauritania	30% (2008 est.) 20% (2004 est.)


Mauritius	8.1% (2012 est.) 7.9% (2011 est.)


Mexico	5% (2012 est.) 5.2% (2011 est.) note: underemployment may be as high as 25%


Micronesia, Federated States of	22% (2000 est.)


Moldova	5.6% (2012 est.) 6.7% (2011 est.)


Monaco	0% (2011)


Mongolia	9% (2011 est.) 13% (2010)


Montenegro	19.1% (2012 est.) 11.5% (2011 est.)


Montserrat	6% (1998 est.)


Morocco	9% (2012 est.) 8.9% (2011 est.)


Mozambique	17% (2007 est.) 21% (1997 est.)


Namibia	51.2% (2008 est.) 36.7% (2004 est.)


Nauru	90% (2004 est.)


Nepal	46% (2008 est.) 42% (2004 est.)


Netherlands	5.3% (2012 est.) 4.4% (2011 est.)


New Caledonia	17.1% (2004)


New Zealand	6.9% (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	11.2% (2010 est.) 8% (2005 est.)


Norway	3.2% (2012 est.) 3.3% (2011 est.)


Oman	15% (2004 est.)


Pakistan	6% (2012 est.) 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	5.2% (2012 est.) 7.9% (2011 est.) note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment


Philippines	7% (2012 est.) 7% (2011 est.)


Poland	12.8% (2012 est.) 12.4% (2011 est.)


Portugal	15.7% (2012 est.) 12.7% (2011 est.)


Puerto Rico	16% (2011 est.) 12% (2002 est.)


Qatar	0.5% (2012 est.) 0.4% (2011 est.)


Romania	5.6% (2012 est.) 5.1% (2011 est.)


Russia	5.5% (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	9.9% (2008 est.)


Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	15% (2001 est.)


Samoa	NA%


San Marino	7% (2012) 5.5% (2011)


Sao Tome and Principe	NA%


Saudi Arabia	10.6% (2012 est.) 10.8% (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	1.9% (2012 est.) 2% (2011 est.)


Sint Maarten	12% (2012 est.) 10.6% (2008 est.)


Slovakia	13.6% (2012 est.) 13.2% (2011 est.)


Slovenia	12% (2012 est.) 11.8% (2011 est.)


Solomon Islands	NA%


Somalia	NA%


South Africa	25.1% (2012 est.) 24.9% (2011 est.)


Spain	25.1% (2012 est.) 21.7% (2011 est.)


Sri Lanka	4% (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	8% (2012 est.) 7.8% (2011 est.)


Switzerland	2.9% (2012 est.) 2.8% (2011 est.)


Syria	18% (2012 est.) 14.9% (2011 est.)


Taiwan	4.2% (2012 est.) 4.4% (2011 est.)


Tajikistan	2.5% (2012 est.) 2.2% (2009 est.) note: official rates; actual unemployment is much higher


Tanzania	NA%


Thailand	0.7% (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	5.6% (2012 est.) 5.5% (2011 est.)


Tunisia	17.4% (2012 est.) 18.3% (2011 est.)


Turkey	9.2% (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	7.5% (2012 est.) 7.9% (2011 est.) note: officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers


United Arab Emirates	2.4% (2001)


United Kingdom	8% (2012 est.) 8.1% (2011 est.)


United States	8.1% (2012 est.) 8.9% (2011 est.)


Uruguay	6% (2012 est.) 6% (2011 est.)


Uzbekistan	4.9% (2012 est.) 4.3% (2011 est.) note: officially measured by the Ministry of Labor, plus another 20% underemployed


Vanuatu	1.7% (1999)


Venezuela	7.8% (2012 est.) 8.2% (2011 est.)


Vietnam	3.2% (2012 est.) 3.6% (2011 est.)


Virgin Islands	6.2% (2004)


Wallis and Futuna	12.2% (2008)


West Bank	23% (2012 est.) 20.9% (2011 est.)


Western Sahara	NA%


World	9% (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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