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Statistics on unemployment and labour underutilization

Unemployment and labour underutilization statistics describe the extent to which available labour is not fully employed. ILOSTAT presents data on unemployment and broader measures of labour underutilization used to analyse slack in labour markets across countries.

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Note: Many publications are available only in English. If available in other languages, a new page will open displaying these options. 

Employment and Social Trends 2026

January 16, 2026

This report examines the state of global labour markets, highlighting stable headline employment alongside stalled progress in job quality and widening inequalities. The report analyses productivity, demographic and economic pressures shaping work in the year ahead and outlines the challenges to achieving more inclusive growth.

Persons outside the labour force: How inactive are they really?

August 1, 2019

Inactivity rates are increasing around the world, while the global population and labour force are ageing. But the inactivity rate is an aggregate measure overlooking the different profiles of people outside the labour force. This Spotlight on Work Statistics explores the characteristics of the potential labour force, made up of persons outside the labour force with an attachment to the labour market.

Avoiding unemployment is not enough

August 4, 2018

Discover the patterns around the world of unemployment and other forms of labour underutilization, including time-related underemployment, the potential labour force and over-education in the fourth issue of our series Spotlight on Work Statistics.

What about seniors?

May 1, 2018

Learn about the situation of older persons in the labour market in this brief, the first issue of our new series Spotlight on work statistics where we use ILOSTAT data to explore various labour market issues.

Methods

Quick guide on the communication of results after implementation of latest standards on statistics of work, employment, and labour underutilization

December 18, 2024

A crucial aspect of the implementation of latest labour statistics standards is the effective communication of the results, to ensure getting the best out of the data. This guide aims to provide practical data visualization examples to convey clearly and intuitively the impact of methodological changes on key labour indicators following the implementation of the 19th ICLS resolution and avoid misinterpretation of the results.

The jobs gap: Measuring labour underutilisation beyond unemployment

February 15, 2024

This issue of Spolight on Work Statistics discusses an indicator recently developed by the ILO – the jobs gap – which is shown to be an important complement to the unemployment rate. The indicator is particularly relevant to assess the difficulties that women face in finding a job and highlights job creation challenges in the developing world.

Quick guide on interpreting the unemployment rate

March 6, 2019

The unemployment rate is a key labour market indicator, but it has many shortcomings which we must take into account when interpreting it. The Quick guide on interpreting the unemployment rate provides helpful information on all the main aspects underlying this headline indicator and its limitations. It also provides tips to communicate effectively on the unemployment rate.

Decent Work and the Sustainable Development Goals: A Guidebook on SDG Labour Market Indicators

October 15, 2018

This Guidebook provides a detailed overview of the labour market indicators included in the Sustainable Development Goals Global Indicator Framework. It is intended to serve as a manual of best practices for calculating and interpreting the SDG labour market indicators, with a view to monitoring progress made at the national and international levels towards the achievement of the SDGs.

Key Labor Market Indicators: Analysis with Household Survey Data

October 20, 2016

This publication is an introduction to labour market indicator analysis and a guide for analysing household survey data using the ADePT ILO Labour Market Indicators Module. The ADePT module is a powerful tool for producing and analysing KILM indicators using household survey data. The software allows researchers and practitioners to automate data production, to minimize data production errors and to quickly produce a wide range of labour market data from labour force surveys or other household surveys that contain labour market information.

Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization (including amendments)

November 21, 2013

Adopted by the 19th ICLS (2013), this resolution sets standards for work statistics to guide countries in updating and integrating their existing statistical programmes in this field. It defines the statistical concept of work for reference purposes and provides operational concepts, definitions and guidelines for: (a) distinct subsets of work activities, referred to as forms of work; (b) related classifications of the population according to their labour force status and main form of work; (c) measures of labour underutilization.

Sources and Methods Volume 3A: Household surveys (2004) – Economically active population, employment, unemployment and hours of work

January 1, 2004

This volume presents national methodological descriptions of statistics of employment, unemployment, underemployment, hours of work and other indicators derived from labour force and household surveys, disseminated on ILOSTAT. It is a revised and updated version of the second edition issued in 1990. This third edition contains descriptions for 83 countries.

See also

Related pages

ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST database)

Discover the methods behind the ILO’s modelled estimates on labour force statistics (including the working poor), labour productivity, wage growth and labour migration.

Statistics on youth

This topic page on youth labour statistics provides access to statistical information including data, methods, and publications.

Youth NEET rate

This snapshot presents global and regional trends along with the most recent country-level figures, based on the latest statistical standards and definitions adopted at the

Unemployment rate

This snapshot presents global and regional trends along with the most recent country-level figures, based on the latest statistical standards and definitions adopted at the

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