Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 6.87 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
6.87
Change on year
down 36.4%
World rank
68th
of 89 countries
All-time high
65.77
in 2018
All-time low
6.87
in 2025
Years of data
24
2001–2025

Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica, 2001–2025

02040602001201320252001: 23.52002: 25.62003: 48.62004: 41.62005: 42.12006: 452007: 36.12008: 28.42009: 50.52011: 36.62012: 42.52013: 42.22014: 42.22015: 37.72016: 302017: 282018: 65.82019: 49.12020: 56.12021: 35.72022: 21.82023: 15.82024: 10.82025: 6.9

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 6.87 for discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 36.4% on the previous year and down 81.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica peaked at 65.77 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 6.87, in 2025.

That places Costa Rica 68th out of 89 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in Costa Rica, 2001 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2001 23.5
2002 25.6 +8.9%
2003 48.58 +89.8%
2004 41.63 -14.3%
2005 42.12 +1.2%
2006 45 +6.8%
2007 36.07 -19.9%
2008 28.36 -21.4%
2009 50.48 +78.0%
2011 36.59 -27.5%
2012 42.52 +16.2%
2013 42.25 -0.6%
2014 42.15 -0.2%
2015 37.67 -10.6%
2016 29.98 -20.4%
2017 28.03 -6.5%
2018 65.77 +134.6%
2019 49.1 -25.3%
2020 56.05 +14.2%
2021 35.74 -36.2%
2022 21.82 -39.0%
2023 15.76 -27.8%
2024 10.8 -31.5%
2025 6.87 -36.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 37.93 23.5 50.48 9
2010s 41.56 28.03 65.77 9
2020s 24.51 6.87 56.05 6

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 65 Norway 8.89 compare
  2. 66 Denmark 8.41 compare
  3. 67 Slovakia 8.05 compare
  4. 69 Belarus 6.7 compare
  5. 70 Panama 6.56 compare
  6. 71 Latvia 6.39 compare

See the full ranking of 89 places →

More work & labour data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica?
Discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica was 6.87 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 65.77 in 2018.
What is the lowest discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 6.87 in 2025.
How does Costa Rica rank for discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
Costa Rica ranks 68th out of 89 countries with data for 2025.
Is discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 81.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/discouraged-jobseekers-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
89 places, 1,551 data points, 1987–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. Discouraged job-seekers refer to those persons of working age who during a specified reference period were without work and available for work, but did not look for work in the recent past for specific reasons (for example, believing that there were no jobs available, believing there were none for which they would qualify, or having given up hope of finding employment). Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.