Employment rate in Moldova
Moldova: Employment rate was 71.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment rate in Moldova, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Moldova recorded 71.2% for employment rate in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Moldova peaked at 71.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 51.6%, in 2004.
That places Moldova 20th out of 186 countries 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 rate in Moldova, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 57.7% | — |
| 1992 | 57.0% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 57.1% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 56.0% | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 56.2% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 54.9% | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 54.8% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 53.9% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 53.3% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 54.8% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 53.7% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 53.3% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 53.6% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 51.6% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 51.7% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 55.6% | +7.5% |
| 2007 | 57.2% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 58.3% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 58.9% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 61.5% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 62.7% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 63.4% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 64.0% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 68.3% | +6.6% |
| 2015 | 69.0% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 68.8% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 67.2% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 66.2% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 68.3% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 68.8% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 71.9% | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 71.9% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 69.7% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 71.1% | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 71.2% | +0.1% |
Moldova compared with similar countries
- Moldova's 71.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 55.7%, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Moldova's 71.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.6%, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.7% | 53.3% | 57.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 54.9% | 51.6% | 58.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.9% | 61.5% | 69.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.8% | 68.8% | 71.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Moldova
More work & labour data for Moldova
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 654.38 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 72.49 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 1,725 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.5 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.726 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 24,890 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 5,854 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 71.4 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) -0.868 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.4043 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Moldova?
- Employment rate in Moldova was 71.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Moldova?
- The highest recorded value was 71.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Moldova?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.6% in 2004.
- How does Moldova rank for employment rate?
- Moldova ranks 20th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Moldova?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Moldova data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.