LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Europe

Western Europe: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 8.18 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
8.18
Change on year
down 0.7%
Rank
54th
of 87 groups
All-time high
12.19
in 2005
All-time low
7.53
in 2019
Years of data
24
2004–2027

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Europe, 2004–2027

02.557.51012.52004201520272004: 11.42005: 12.22006: 11.62007: 10.42008: 9.42009: 10.22010: 9.82011: 9.42012: 9.42013: 9.52014: 9.92015: 9.72016: 9.32017: 8.62018: 82019: 7.52020: 8.82021: 8.32022: 7.52023: 7.62024: 7.82025: 8.12026: 8.22027: 8.2

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Europe stood at 8.18.

The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Europe peaked at 12.19 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 7.53, in 2019.

Western Europe ranks 54th of 87 groups on this measure, 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 Western Europe, year by year

Annual values for LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Western Europe, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 11.38 —
2005 12.19 +7.1%
2006 11.62 -4.6%
2007 10.39 -10.6%
2008 9.4 -9.6%
2009 10.18 +8.3%
2010 9.82 -3.4%
2011 9.38 -4.5%
2012 9.39 +0.1%
2013 9.53 +1.5%
2014 9.88 +3.7%
2015 9.71 -1.8%
2016 9.26 -4.7%
2017 8.62 -6.9%
2018 8.02 -6.9%
2019 7.53 -6.2%
2020 8.79 +16.9%
2021 8.35 -5.1%
2022 7.55 -9.5%
2023 7.57 +0.3%
2024 7.8 +3.0%
2025 8.09 +3.7%
2026 8.24 +1.9%
2027 8.18 -0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 10.86 9.4 12.19 6
2010s 9.11 7.53 9.88 10
2020s 8.07 7.55 8.79 8

More work & labour data for Western Europe

All data for Western Europe →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Europe?
Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Europe was 8.18 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Western Europe?
The highest recorded value was 12.19 in 2005.
What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Western Europe?
The lowest recorded value was 7.53 in 2019.
How does Western Europe rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
Western Europe ranks 54th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Western Europe?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Western Europe 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 Western Europe. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu3-combined-rate-of-unemployment-and-potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/western-europe/

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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.