LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Switzerland

Switzerland: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 8.71 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
8.71
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
30th
of 63 countries
All-time high
9.23
in 2021
All-time low
5.21
in 2019
Years of data
12
2014–2025

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Switzerland, 2014–2025

02468102014201920252014: 5.62015: 5.62016: 5.82017: 5.62018: 5.52019: 5.22020: 5.52021: 9.22022: 8.32023: 8.12024: 8.32025: 8.7

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Switzerland recorded 8.71 for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.1% on the previous year and up 54.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Switzerland peaked at 9.23 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5.21, in 2019.

Switzerland ranks 30th of 63 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in Switzerland, 2014 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2014 5.63
2015 5.63 +0.0%
2016 5.76 +2.2%
2017 5.56 -3.4%
2018 5.49 -1.2%
2019 5.21 -5.1%
2020 5.51 +5.8%
2021 9.23 +67.4%
2022 8.28 -10.3%
2023 8.14 -1.7%
2024 8.29 +1.8%
2025 8.71 +5.1%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

  • Switzerland's 8.71 is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.94, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Switzerland's 8.71 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.47, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 5.55 5.21 5.76 6
2020s 8.03 5.51 9.23 6

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 27 Moldova 9.17 compare
  2. 28 Belgium 8.78 compare
  3. 28 Costa Rica 8.78 compare
  4. 31 Lithuania 8.56 compare
  5. 32 New Zealand 8.52 compare
  6. 33 Romania 8.39 compare

See the full ranking of 63 places →

More work & labour data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Switzerland?
Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Switzerland was 8.71 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 9.23 in 2021.
What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 5.21 in 2019.
How does Switzerland rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
Switzerland ranks 30th out of 63 countries with data for 2025.
Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is up 54.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu3-combined-rate-of-unemployment-and-potential-labour-force-current-ilo-definition/switzerland/

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About this data

Indicator
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
63 places, 634 data points, 2014–2025
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 includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. LU3 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.