Employment in Eastern Asia
Eastern Asia: Employment was 868,437 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Eastern Asia, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in Eastern Asia stood at 868,437.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Eastern Asia peaked at 880,889 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 750,374, in 1991.
That places Eastern Asia 12th out of 87 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Eastern Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 750,374 | — |
| 1992 | 757,847 | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 761,623 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 766,470 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 772,141 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 778,174 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 785,255 | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 789,718 | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 795,041 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 801,949 | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 806,896 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 813,042 | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 819,701 | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 830,240 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 840,122 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 849,348 | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 855,775 | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 857,891 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 859,269 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 864,278 | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 870,174 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 871,488 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 873,031 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 875,509 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 876,918 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 878,587 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 878,848 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 879,595 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 877,600 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 858,123 | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 880,889 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 868,050 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 874,911 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 869,060 | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 868,437 | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 772,960 | 750,374 | 795,041 | 9 |
| 2000s | 833,423 | 801,949 | 859,269 | 10 |
| 2010s | 874,603 | 864,278 | 879,595 | 10 |
| 2020s | 869,912 | 858,123 | 880,889 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eastern Asia
More work & labour data for Eastern Asia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 386,091 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.5 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.42 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.1 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.0882 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 383,431 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.29 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 295,790 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 769,523 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Eastern Asia?
- Employment in Eastern Asia was 868,437 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Eastern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 880,889 in 2021.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Eastern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 750,374 in 1991.
- How does Eastern Asia rank for employment?
- Eastern Asia ranks 12th out of 87 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Eastern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eastern Asia 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.