Japan vs South Korea: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate)
Japan
2.7%
in 2025
South Korea
2.8%
in 2025
Japan rank
144th
South Korea rank
141st
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 2.8% against 2.7% in Japan, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1975 it was South Korea ahead.
Japan ranks 144th and South Korea ranks 141st of 181 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.2% | 4.6% | 2.4% | South Korea |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 4.7% | 2.2% | South Korea |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 3.6% | 0.6% | South Korea |
| 2000s | 4.9% | 3.8% | 1.1% | Japan |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 3.5% | 0.3% | Japan |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 3.1% | 0.2% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment, male (% of male labor force), Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 2.8% against 2.7% in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment, male (% of male labor force) between Japan and South Korea?
- 0.1%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 51 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Japan ranks 144th and South Korea ranks 141st of 181 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.