China vs United States: Employment (ILO modelled estimates)
Employment (ILO modelled estimates) over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 737,575 against 170,186 in United States, a difference of 567,389.
That makes China's figure about 4.3 times United States's.
Across all 35 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 188 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 660,807 | 129,792 | 531,015 | China |
| 2000s | 717,375 | 144,308 | 573,067 | China |
| 2010s | 751,585 | 154,492 | 597,093 | China |
| 2020s | 740,434 | 165,863 | 574,572 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher employment, China or United States?
- China, at 737,575 against 170,186 in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in employment between China and United States?
- 567,389, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for employment?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 188 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization, published as Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.