Employment in Asia and the Pacific
Asia and the Pacific: Employment was 2.04 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Asia and the Pacific, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in Asia and the Pacific stood at 2.04 million. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Asia and the Pacific peaked at 2.04 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.34 million, in 1991.
Asia and the Pacific ranks 4th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Asia and the Pacific, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.34 million | — |
| 1992 | 1.36 million | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 1.38 million | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 1.40 million | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 1.43 million | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 1.45 million | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 1.48 million | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 1.50 million | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 1.53 million | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 1.55 million | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 1.58 million | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 1.60 million | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.62 million | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 1.65 million | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.67 million | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 1.69 million | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 1.71 million | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 1.73 million | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 1.74 million | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 1.76 million | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.78 million | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.79 million | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 1.81 million | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 1.83 million | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 1.84 million | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 1.86 million | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 1.87 million | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 1.89 million | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 1.91 million | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 1.88 million | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 1.93 million | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.96 million | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 2.00 million | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 2.02 million | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 2.04 million | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.43 million | 1.34 million | 1.53 million | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.65 million | 1.55 million | 1.74 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.83 million | 1.76 million | 1.91 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.97 million | 1.88 million | 2.04 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Asia and the Pacific
More work & labour data for Asia and the Pacific
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 2.15 million (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.05 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 1.43 million (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.58 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.53 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.7302 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 2.04 million (2025)
- Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) 60.05 (2027)
- NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training 137,228 (2027)
- Time-related underemployment (ILO modelled estimates) 79,622 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Asia and the Pacific?
- Employment in Asia and the Pacific was 2.04 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Asia and the Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 2.04 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Asia and the Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.34 million in 1991.
- How does Asia and the Pacific rank for employment?
- Asia and the Pacific ranks 4th out of 87 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Asia and the Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Asia and the Pacific data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
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.