LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in South America

South America: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 10.38 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
10.38
Change on year
down 1.7%
Rank
31st
of 87 groups
All-time high
19.46
in 2020
All-time low
10.34
in 2014
Years of data
24
2004–2027

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in South America, 2004–2027

051015202004201520272004: 15.72005: 14.92006: 13.92007: 13.12008: 12.32009: 13.32010: 12.52011: 11.72012: 11.42013: 10.82014: 10.32015: 11.32016: 13.42017: 14.32018: 14.42019: 14.62020: 19.52021: 16.82022: 132023: 11.82024: 11.32025: 112026: 10.62027: 10.4

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

South America recorded 10.38 for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in 2027.

That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in South America peaked at 19.46 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.34, in 2014.

That places South America 31st out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

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

Annual values for LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in South America, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 15.69
2005 14.94 -4.8%
2006 13.87 -7.2%
2007 13.11 -5.5%
2008 12.35 -5.8%
2009 13.34 +8.1%
2010 12.48 -6.5%
2011 11.67 -6.4%
2012 11.37 -2.6%
2013 10.84 -4.7%
2014 10.34 -4.6%
2015 11.28 +9.1%
2016 13.4 +18.7%
2017 14.27 +6.5%
2018 14.43 +1.1%
2019 14.55 +0.8%
2020 19.46 +33.7%
2021 16.83 -13.5%
2022 13.01 -22.7%
2023 11.79 -9.4%
2024 11.26 -4.5%
2025 10.97 -2.6%
2026 10.56 -3.8%
2027 10.38 -1.7%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in South America changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2020 +33.7% 14.55 19.46

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 13.88 12.35 15.69 6
2010s 12.46 10.34 14.55 10
2020s 13.03 10.38 19.46 8

More work & labour data for South America

All data for South America →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in South America?
Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in South America was 10.38 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in South America?
The highest recorded value was 19.46 in 2020.
What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in South America?
The lowest recorded value was 10.34 in 2014.
How does South America rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
South America ranks 31st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in South America?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South America data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in South America. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu3-combined-rate-of-unemployment-and-potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/south-america/

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About this data

Indicator
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (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. LU3 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.