Australia vs United States of America: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)
Australia
4.2%
in 2025
United States of America
4.3%
in 2025
Australia rank
123rd
United States of America rank
121st
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) over time
- Australia
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 4.3% against 4.2% in Australia, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 47 shared years of data; in 1979 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 123rd and United States of America ranks 121st of 187 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 3 and United States of America in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.3% | 5.8% | 0.5% | Australia |
| 1980s | 7.6% | 7.3% | 0.3% | Australia |
| 1990s | 8.8% | 5.8% | 3.0% | Australia |
| 2000s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 0.1% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 6.2% | 0.7% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 4.8% | 0.3% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment, total (% of total labor force), Australia or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 4.3% against 4.2% in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) between Australia and United States of America?
- 0.1%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and United States of America?
- 47 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
- How do Australia and United States of America rank globally for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Australia ranks 123rd and United States of America ranks 121st of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Unemployment, total (% of total 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.