Jobs gap in Southern Asia

Southern Asia: Jobs gap was 80,901 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
80,901
Change on year
up 1.6%
Rank
15th
of 87 groups
All-time high
91,684
in 2020
All-time low
70,724
in 2023
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Jobs gap in Southern Asia, 2004–2027

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k2004201520272004: 86.8k2005: 88.1k2006: 87.7k2007: 87.9k2008: 89.0k2009: 89.9k2010: 89.2k2011: 89.1k2012: 91.4k2013: 90.4k2014: 89.6k2015: 90.9k2016: 90.2k2017: 90.7k2018: 90.5k2019: 81.5k2020: 91.7k2021: 87.4k2022: 73.7k2023: 70.7k2024: 76.8k2025: 78.3k2026: 79.7k2027: 80.9k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for jobs gap in Southern Asia is 80,901, measured in 2027.

That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and down 10.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, jobs gap in Southern Asia peaked at 91,684 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 70,724, in 2023.

Southern Asia ranks 15th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Jobs gap in Southern Asia, year by year

Annual values for Jobs gap (ILO modelled estimates) in Southern Asia, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 86,839
2005 88,121 +1.5%
2006 87,746 -0.4%
2007 87,854 +0.1%
2008 89,000 +1.3%
2009 89,891 +1.0%
2010 89,248 -0.7%
2011 89,081 -0.2%
2012 91,378 +2.6%
2013 90,414 -1.1%
2014 89,566 -0.9%
2015 90,886 +1.5%
2016 90,241 -0.7%
2017 90,718 +0.5%
2018 90,487 -0.3%
2019 81,492 -9.9%
2020 91,684 +12.5%
2021 87,354 -4.7%
2022 73,702 -15.6%
2023 70,724 -4.0%
2024 76,815 +8.6%
2025 78,319 +2.0%
2026 79,665 +1.7%
2027 80,901 +1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 88,242 86,839 89,891 6
2010s 89,351 81,492 91,378 10
2020s 79,895 70,724 91,684 8

More work & labour data for Southern Asia

All data for Southern Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is jobs gap in Southern Asia?
Jobs gap in Southern Asia was 80,901 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest jobs gap recorded in Southern Asia?
The highest recorded value was 91,684 in 2020.
What is the lowest jobs gap recorded in Southern Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 70,724 in 2023.
How does Southern Asia rank for jobs gap?
Southern Asia ranks 15th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is jobs gap rising or falling in Southern Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Southern Asia data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Jobs gap (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Jobs gap in Southern Asia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/jobs-gap-ilo-modelled-estimates/southern-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Jobs gap (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
Last refreshed

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 jobs gap is defined as the sum of the unemployed, the potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.